1. Symphonic Passion Chorus: For the Love of Singing
Jessica Lynch1, Jamie McMurrich1, Janet Vogt2, Bruce Edwards2, Christine Hein2, Barry Isaacs2
University of Toronto (1), Surrey Place Centre (2)
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
CAREGIVERS’ QUALITY OF LIFE
Participants: 17 choir members (8 ♂; 9 ♀; average age 41 years)
10 caregivers (5 parents; 2 siblings; 3 support workers)
Interviews: semi-structured, with open-ended questions
20 minutes in duration
face-to-face for choir members; phone for caregivers
recorded, transcribed, coded using a grounded theory approach
Approved by SPC and Univ. of Toronto research ethics boards. Informed consent obtained from all participants.
“I trust Surrey Place with her, and it’s a good place for her to be with something like that.”
“I know she’s safe here, learning to transition into the adult world.”
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Social support networks are positively associated with health status and quality of life (QOL) and are essential to the health of people with developmental disabilities (DD). Organized physical activity programs promote social inclusion and contribute to QOL in this population, but research on the impact of arts-based programs is limited.
The Symphonic Passion Chorus was created at Surrey Place Centre (SPC) to provide a social environment for adults with DD to explore their enjoyment of music. This poster explores the choir experience from the perspectives of both choir members and their primary caregivers.
Trust in Surrey Place Centre
THEMES RESULTING FROM ANALYSIS OF CHOIR MEMBER AND CAREGIVER INTERVIEWS THAT IMPACT ON CHOIR MEMBERS’ QUALITY OF LIFE
“It allows me time to do what I need to do…knowing she’s secure…It’s a nice thing for her and I to have some time, for a few hours, apart.”
“Being part of the group is a learning experience too…So, you know, in our mind there’s lots of other learning going on besides music..”
“I think it made my life better…Um I find myself not putting myself down as I used to…”
“Um it makes easier to stay with…with my…with disability people. I’ll stay; I’ll stay for my rest of my life, yeah.”
Respite for caregivers
Impact on life / Personal development
CHOIR PROGRAM OVERVIEW
“Anything that makes her happier makes me happier.”
“I’m happy for her. That she does something that she enjoys doing.”
“Better because I meet friends. Yeah it was better for me to meet friends; I’m not lonely no more. I have a lot of friends who care.”
The choir program consisted of:
28 adult members
Primary diagnosis was DD
All were verbal
Most had limited literacy skills
2 directors; a speech language pathologist and an occupational therapist from SPC
10 staff volunteers
Weekly practices Sept - May
Pizza and pop following practice
“She enjoys being part of the group and doing things together, and it makes her feel special.”
Friendship / Social networks
Satisfaction with choir
member’s experience
“When she gets home from choir, she’s like, on cloud 9…and she does everything she can not to miss a choir night.”
“Happy, belong to them, very happy.”
“It’s a source of conversation…like, “What did you do this week? What songs are you working on?””
“Well it makes me feel good because I learn, I learn more, I get to learn more experience in my…music prerogative and I also get to meet friends and get to get away from my mom for a chance. That’s why I like coming to choir.”
Figure 1. Excerpt from Choir Songbook
How choir makes me feel / Positive experience
Source of conversation
CONCLUSIONS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Participation in the Symphonic Passion Chorus was associated with a positive effect on the quality of life of choir members and caregivers alike. For choir members, this was evidenced by improved social networks and personal development and for caregivers, by satisfaction with the choir member’s experience, confidence in SPC, respite, and providing a source of conversation/ connection with the choir member.
The authors would like to acknowledge the Symphonic Passion Chorus members, both clients and volunteers, who supported this research.