THE LATEST NEWS!
Ready to see Love Notes Chorus Perform?
Check out PERFORMANCES and mark your calendar to join us!
Love Notes Chorus (LNC) is Austin’s first Alzheimer's choir and is under the auspices of Music Memories Austin, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
We currently have about 50 participants but would love to include more people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
To keep our chorus safe, we require participants to be fully vaccinated.
Interested? Contact Edie Elkjer (Musical Director) and Susie Higley (Administrative Coordinator) via email at: musicmemoriesaustin@gmail.com
or call Love Notes Chorus at
(512) 797-4465.
Love Notes Chorus appreciates the generosity of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and St. Matthew's Episcopal Church of Austin.
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Love Notes Chorus, a choir sponsored by Music Memories Austin (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) and made up of those with memory loss, their caregivers, and volunteers is looking forward to returning from the holidays with choir rehearsals starting on Monday, January 9th of 2023. We meet at 10:30 every Monday until our May 6th concert.
We would like to include more choir members who are experiencing early-stage Alzheimer's or other related cognitive issues.
We are directed and led by Edie Elkjer, a seasoned choral director, so singing experience is not necessary and we provide music notebooks for all singers. If you or someone you know might benefit by joining us, please call us at (512) 797-4465 or email us at musicmemoriesaustin@gmail.com
A Gift of Love
Music Memories Austin, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) under the direction of Edie Elkjer, and her business partner, Susie Higley, began facilitating workshops three years ago at Memory Powered by Active Connections (MPAC), St. Matthew’s respite care for people with Alzheimer’s.
Realizing the tremendous impact of music on people suffering from this debilitating disease, Edie and Susie were inspired to learn more about Giving Voice Chorus, a chorus made up of persons with Alzheimer’s, their caregivers, and volunteers which began in Minneapolis/St. Paul. This encouraged Edie and Susie to launch Love Notes Chorus (LNC) in September 2019.
LNC is made up of the ideal ratio recommended by Giving Voice of one-third persons with varying stages of Alzheimer’s, one-third caregivers, and one-third volunteers.
In preparing for LNC’s first concert in November 2019, Austin’s public radio station’s (KUT) documentarist, Michelle Dahlenburg, produced an initial seven-minute radio feature about LNC. This piece followed the chorus from the first rehearsal through the concert, including interviews with various choir members living with memory loss. An estimated 350 people attended the November 2019 Love Notes Chorus concert, garnering a strong foundation and motivating more participation within the community. Some attending the performance and others hearing it publicized on the radio will participate in the LNC spring concert.
To learn more about how you can participate in LNC, email
Edie Elkjer or Susie Higley at:
What People Are Saying About LNC...
"I feel so blessed to spend time every week with my Love Notes Chorus friends on Zoom. I enjoy hearing everyone’s stories and memories, and we laugh a lot! It is wonderful to see those friends with memory loss “light up“ when they hear and sing songs from their past.
Maintaining meaningful connections is so important for them, and I know this weekly gathering is a social highlight for us all!" - Pam Carmagnola
"Singing and music have always been fun. Love Notes Chorus makes them great. Singing tunes that have been part of our lives makes it easy and nostalgic. While participation has always been enjoyable, it has taken on special meaning during the pandemic. The weekly Zoom “concert” lets me virtually get out of my bubble and interact with some great people. It helps us all be a little happier and probably a little healthier." - Donna Hebner
"Deb and I really appreciate the efforts you have made to continue the Music Memories choir practice using the Zoom meetings. We very much look forward to them and it really puts us in a good mood and we love singing the old (and some new) standards, show tunes, and hits and having people share memories they have related to them. We love it so much, we signed in from our car once!! Keep up the good work....it has been great. Looking forward to when we can reunite in person again." - Tom Blair
"Our Monday morning meeting and our singing are nice and positive and I like all the people! Of course, for you, Edie, your words that "you are in love" with me DOES FEEL GREAT!" - Patricia Keen
"I will say that when I hear her singing and laughing and interacting, even though it's online, I'm so happy she's getting that connection and stimulation -- it's so important!!
It's a great way to start her week and I am so thankful for you and Susie, your compassion, your lovely spirit, and for the chorus! It's been a real gift.
I do hear her saying "OK, we can get started" - she has a habit of taking on the facilitator's role. I do hope it's not too disruptive!
Thank you!!! I appreciate you so much!" - Mary Albanese (Patricia's Daughter)
“My husband, my mother-in-law, and I all attend Love Notes Chorus. We’ve attended since its inception over a year ago. The founders and volunteers are loving and caring as well as musically talented.
The choir Zoom meetings provide us musical enjoyment and social interaction which has been particularly important this year of Pandemic quarantines. From breathing to vocal exercises and simple movements to learning the composer’s story behind the song has all added to our enjoyable experiences. Listening to all kinds of music from different eras have stirred forgotten memories of long ago. All of these factors have helped stimulate our brains by reminiscing pleasant memories from the past. And besides — We have so much FUN!!!!" - Renee Pruitt