Applying knowledge from specialist dementia singing settings to generalist singing groups
Access the event recording until 18th June via the sign up form below.
Date: Tuesday 19th May 2026
Time: 18:00 – 19:15
Venue: Online on Zoom. The session will be recorded and available for one month after the event.
Join us for an online conversation with dementia-inclusive singing specialists Magdalena Schamberger, Eyleen Braaten and Penny Stone to gain insights into working with singers who have a diagnosis of dementia. Hear expert knowledge about inclusive singing initiatives, groups and practices and discover how to apply their learnings and approaches to generalist choir and singing group settings such as community choirs. Chaired by Stephen Deazley.
You will learn:
– What dementia is and how it affects a person
– Why singing is impactful for people with a diagnosis of dementia
– What specialist dementia inclusive singing practice looks like
– What we can apply from specialist settings to more generalist singing settings such as community choirs and singing groups
– How we can support people on a practical level to attend and fully participate
About our panel
Magdalena Schamberger – www.magdalenaschamberger.com
Magdalena Schamberger is an independent creative collaborator, theatre maker, consultant and teaching artist. She combines 35 years of experience in physical and visually driven theatre and clowning with 25 years of creatively engaging people living with dementia. Magdalena has a long-standing commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of vulnerable people through high-quality arts provision. She was Founding Member and Creative Director at bold (Bringing Out Leaders in Dementia) and Co-founder and former Artistic Director of Hearts & Minds, Scotland. As a theatre director, her work includes the creation of bespoke collaborative productions for people living with dementia, namely Curious Shoes and In the Light of Day and her 3rd dementia responsive project, Framed, which is currently in development.
In 2024, Magdalena directed the world premiere of Dementia the Musical, written by Ron Coleman who had a Vascular Dementia diagnosis, which has toured widely across Scotland. Her current work includes consultancies for SCO’s dementia friendly concerts and for EIF dementia friendly jazz concert series for Edinburgh International Festival in August 2026. Magdalena has also developed Artful Minds, an experiential training initiative for artists of all art forms and regularly delivers Compassionate Clowning workshops to organisations across the globe.
Eyleen Braaten, Giving Voice Initiative – www.givingvoicechorus.org
Eyleen Braaten is the Executive Director of Giving Voice Initiative, where she leads a growing national movement to create dementia-friendly choruses that bring joy, connection, and purpose to people living with dementia and their care partners. Since joining the organization in 2017, Eyleen has been supporting the growth of the mission through innovative programming and building strong partnerships.
Eyleen brings more than two decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, mediation, and community engagement and lived experience as a care parter to her father who is living with dementia. She holds advanced degrees in public policy and nonprofit management, which inform her thoughtful, person-centered approach to leadership and program design. Eyleen is a relationship-builder and facilitator, known for challenging traditional narratives around aging and dementia through the power of music and storytelling. She is proud to lead with kindness, collaboration, and a deep belief in the transformative potential of human connection.
Giving Voice Initiative is a nonprofit that inspires and equips communities in Minnesota and around the world to start dementia-friendly choruses that change lives and shift public perception through the power of song. Today, more than 200 singers participate in GVI’s five flagship choruses in the Twin Cities. Beyond Minnesota, a growing network of over 75 choruses across the U.S. and Canada are working together to create inclusive musical experiences that centre the voices and dignity of people on the Alzheimer’s journey.
Penny Stone – singlouderthanguns.com
Penny Stone is a song leader, composer and inclusive practitioner who leads a wide variety of singing projects and groups. Penny is a Natural Voice Practitioner, and a leader in Luminate’s Dementia Inclusive Singing Network. Penny has been leading Let’s Sing for the last ten years, which is a dementia focussed community singing group in Musselburgh (just outside Edinburgh) primarily supporting people in the early-mid stages of dementia. Previously to this she worked at a psychiatric hospital taking singing onto dementia wards, and so she has a breadth of experience using singing to support people living with dementia right through early to later stages.