Songwriting Workshops for Seniors
Connection & Creativity Through Music
Chris Chianesi, songwriter and music educator, designs engaging songwriting workshops that invite seniors to share their memories, explore emotions, and create music together.
Everyone Benefits
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Making music with Chris brings together people of diverse backgrounds and different generations, encouraging dialogue, sharing, and laughter.
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Music-making encourages people to express themselves both with and without words, unleashing inner creativity.
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Chris teaches the fundamentals of songwriting and music composition to seniors of all skill levels in an enjoyable environment suitable for anyone who loves learning.
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Each songwriting workshop concludes with one or more original songs, which participants can listen to and perform whenever they want.
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Workshops are held in person to bring people together in a welcoming, fun physical setting.
Meeting Seniors Where They Live
Workshops are held in person. They’re flexible, collaborative, and full of discovery. No musical experience or travel required.
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Chris leads engaging group classes at senior community centers that teach the art of collaborative music-making, fostering community bonds and shared storytelling among participants of all skill levels.
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Chris conducts structured, accessible classes and one-on-one sessions focused on reminiscence and creating songs about favorite memories, friendships, and life stories.
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Chris offers personalized, bedside, and small-group programs that use music creation to improve mood, cognitive awareness, and community involvement.
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Chris creates highly personalized, sensory-based songwriting experiences for memory care residents, using familiar melodies and lyrics to spark memories and emotional engagement.
How It Works
Chris designs his songwriting workshops in consultation with you based on the interests of your group.
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Chris meets with staff or organizers to understand the group’s needs and setting.
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Participants share memories, choose themes, and help craft lyrics and melodies together.
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Chris refines and records the song, with input from participants.
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The group receives a personalized song to enjoy, perform, or gift to loved ones.
Topics Chris Can Cover
The subjects covered in any one workshop will be unique to meet your group’s needs, but can include:
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Chris teaches workshop participants the basics of writing catchy lyrics. He can also help seniors refine lyrics for songs they’ve already written.
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Chris teaches participants how to compose memorable melodies, in particular choruses.
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Chris gives insights into how harmonies are created and composed. He can teach the basics of music theory if desired.
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Chris teaches participants how to arrange the different elements of a song, including melodies, harmonies, and instrumentations, to create a complete piece of music.
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Chris addresses the technical aspects of music creation, from how to use cutting-edge software and equipment to how to produce pristine vocal recordings.
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Chris brings portable studio equipment so participants can record their own vocals and keep them as treasured keepsakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
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However long (or short) you like!
Chris is a flexibile music educator who offers anything from one-day intensive songwriting workshops to workshops spanning several weeks.
He is able to tailor the workshop to your personal needs.
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It depends on what you’re looking for.
Some groups prefer to leave a songwriting workshop with a music track they can sing along to.
Others choose for Chris to provide a fully completed song with him recording the vocals.
Meanwhile, some groups want to record their songs in their own voices, with Chris helping in the recording and producing process.
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Absolutely not!
Some people come into workshops with lyric ideas, which Chris helps set to music. Other participants have come with melodies, and Chris helped shape lyrics. Others have written parody lyrics to already written songs.
The point is: The goal of any workshop or session is to bring the musical desires of the participants to life.
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Not right now.
A main goal of Chris’s songwriting workshops is to bring people together physically so they can experience the community-building power of making music together.
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Connect
If you’d like to learn more about Chris’s songwriting for seniors, schedule a songwriting workshop or session, or ask a question, please reach out.