Dubuque chorus brings music to those losing their memory

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — For Joel Gorun, music had been a lifelong source of joy, with sweet melodies that waxed nostalgic memories of days gone by. He found a particular passion for singing and took advantage of every opportunity he could to lift his tenor voice among fellow choristers in the Dubuque Chorale, the Music Men A Cappella Barbershop Chorus and at local churches. So when Joel began suffering from memory loss last summer, he knew that with a diagnosis came an opportunity. Long touted for its benefits beyond enjoyment, music has been shown to activate regions of the brain spared by Alzheimer’s, as well as preserve what is known as "musical memory" (the brain’s ability to recognize familiar music), alter functional connectivity and improve overall health. "For him, he recognized the importance of music altogether, but he knew the benefits it could have for people suffering from dementia," Joel’s wife, Marilyn, told the Telegraph Herald. "And because music was so much a part of his life, he felt the need to contribute somehow." Before his death in March at age 77, Joel became the impetus behind the Northeast Iowa School of Music’s Healing Harmonies Chorus, an ensemble with an eye toward providing an outlet for non-care-center Alzheimer’s disease patients in the tri-states, along with their caregivers. Thanks to Tracey Rush, Northeast Iowa School of Music founder, a part of Joel remains with the ensemble, which recently began its weekly rehearsals. In 2018, after Gorun had approached Rush with the idea for the group, Rush had been selected in a competitive process to participate in the National Guild’s Catalyzing Creative Aging program, an initiative designed to support new creative aging programs at nonprofit arts education organizations nationwide. Through that support, Rush was able to help see Joel’s dream through. […]

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