Photo depicts the Giving Voice Chorus, a program of the Minnesota-based non-profit, Giving Voice Initiative
The Springfield Choral Society, in partnership with the Smith Alzheimer’s Center at SIU Medicine and Westminster Presbyterian Church, is launching a new program to create a supportive and joyful musical experience for individuals with dementia and their caregivers, promoting social connection, creative expression, and overall well-being.
Sing by Heart is a new Springfield-area choral group for those with memory loss, their caregivers, and trained Springfield Choral Society volunteers. Its goal is to minimize the impact of dementia and other forms of memory loss. Recent scientific research shows that portions of the brain linked to music are undamaged by diseases like Alzheimer’s, and that singing lowers cortisol levels and promotes senses of well-being, happiness, and trust.
The Sing by Heart choir will meet on Wednesdays from 10:00--11:30am at Westminster Presbyterian Church, beginning on October 2nd and continuing for eight weeks. The final session, on November 20th, will feature a small performance, open to family, friends, and the public. Another 8-week session is planned for the spring.
For this first session of the Sing by Heart choir, participation is limited to patients of the Smith Alzheimer’s Center at SIU Medicine, along with their caregivers. Registration for this program will be handled by the Smith Center, and is available on their website.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Mrs. Linda (Carvalho) Younkin is the music director at Christ the King Church in Springfield. She also teaches private piano and voice. Linda’s inspiration to take on the role of choir director for those with cognitive challenges stems from her personal five-year journey with her own mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2018. Linda saw the joy and clarity singing brought to her mother, even in the midst of the disease. She hopes that “Sing by Heart” will provide comfort, connection, and a sense of community to those navigating the challenges of dementia. Linda has taught K-12 vocal and general music in the Springfield public and parochial school districts for over 30 years. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Education degree from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, and certification in Kodaly music education. She and her husband, Dr. Casey Younkin, have four adult children and are proud grandparents of a four-year-old grandson.
ABOUT THE PIANIST
Bonnie Heinmiller Ettinger’s life has been centered on music since her earliest days singing with her mother and sister and playing the piano and organ for the West Los Angeles Baptist Church. Her father was a major influence making sure music filled their home by always playing his records, especially the pipe organ and big band music. She competed in the Youth for Christ International Gospel Piano Music Contest in high school and went on to major in music at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. She completed her B.A. in Elementary Education with a minor in Music at Purdue University and earned her M.A. in Organizational Communication from Sangamon State University. She and her husband Ron have been married for 58 years and they have two daughters and three grandchildren.
Bonnie has been the pianist for the Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation for over 45 years and recently enjoyed accompanying the Springfield Choral Society programs. She enjoys playing for nursing homes and assisted living facilities where she has seen, first hand, the power of music to reach people on a deep level. In one instance, during one of the sing-a-long programs she was playing for, a caregiver said that her patient had been non-verbal for years but, amazingly, began singing during the program. She looks forward to playing for “Sing by Heart” and bringing the power of music to those with dementia.