Strengthen Your Mind, Lift Your Spirit, Find a Community
MacPhail Music for Life™ classes and ensembles bring adults ages 55+ together to create and learn about music in a fun and comfortable setting. Class sizes are small, and the supportive environment encourages personal expression, social engagement, and community building. Classes are scheduled at convenient times to avoid rush hour traffic and nighttime driving, and MacPhail offers accessible entrances, spaces, and materials.
Research shows that music:
Reduces stress, which is linked to decreases in heart disease, heart attacks, strokes and other conditions
Increases mathematical ability, cognitive function, and spatial-temporal reasoning
Improves quality of sleep
Makes us happier, more connected, and more energetic
Adult Music Class Offerings
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Voices of Experience – FALL Semester
Celebrate Minnesota’s rich choral tradition and be a part of a partnership between MacPhail and the Minnesota Chorale. The Voices of Experience Choir is for adults over the age of...
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Unwrapping Music ONLINE: Theatrical Music Part 2
Theatrical Music: Storytelling Through Sound How does music create drama? In this two-part series, we will explore how composers have used music to tell stories, create characters, heighten emotion, and...
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Songs and Stories (Dementia-Friendly) – Minneapolis
Songs & Stories: A Community Singing Experience for People Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners Join us for an uplifting musical gathering where familiar songs spark memories, conversation, and...
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Unwrapping Music ONLINE: Theatrical Music Part 1
Theatrical Music: Storytelling Through Sound How does music create drama? In this two-part series, we will explore how composers have used music to tell stories, create characters, heighten emotion, and...
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Rhythm Circle (Dementia-Friendly) – Apple Valley
Join us as we celebrate the power of music to bring people together, foster well-being, and create meaningful experiences for both individuals living with dementia and those who care for...
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Rhythm Circle (Dementia-Friendly) – Chanhassen
Join us as we celebrate the power of music to bring people together, foster well-being, and create meaningful experiences for both individuals living with dementia and those who care for...
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Rhythm Circle (Dementia-Friendly) – Minneapolis
Join us as we celebrate the power of music to bring people together, foster well-being, and create meaningful experiences for both individuals living with dementia and those who care for...
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Songs and Stories (Dementia-Friendly) – Apple Valley
Songs & Stories: A Community Singing Experience for People Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners Join us for an uplifting musical gathering where familiar songs spark memories, conversation, and...
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MMFL Voice Class 2 – Minneapolis
Learn how to apply healthy vocal technique learned in Voice Class 1 to diverse repertoire throughout this semester. In this course you will gain an understanding of appropriate performance practice...
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Music Circle (Dementia-Friendly) – Apple Valley
Music Circle is an interactive music-making experience designed for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Each week, participants gather to explore a new theme through a variety of engaging...
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Music Circle (Dementia-Friendly) – Chanhassen
Music Circle is an interactive music-making experience designed for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Each week, participants gather to explore a new theme through a variety of engaging...
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Music Circle (Dementia-Friendly) – Minneapolis
Music Circle is an interactive music-making experience designed for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Each week, participants gather to explore a new theme through a variety of engaging...
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MMFL Beginning Piano
Have you always wanted to learn to play the piano or come back to it after learning the basics years ago? Join in with other adults in the same boat,...
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MMFL Voice Class 1 – Minneapolis
Learn the basic technique of healthy vocal production and improve your singing voice in a fun and comfortable setting. This class will cover vocal tone, range, posture, breath support, resonance,...
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Continuing Sight-Reading for Singers
Wish you could look at a piece of music and be able to hear the melody in your head without listening to a recording or plunking out the melody? Looking...
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Connecting Voices Chorus – FALL Semester
Connecting Voices offers a unique and joy-filled choral experience for people living with dementia and their caregivers. The chorus meets weekly in Antonello Hall at MacPhail’s Minneapolis location. Together, we...
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Beginning Sight-Reading for Singers
Wish you could look at a piece of music and be able to hear the melody in your head without listening to a recording or plunking out the melody? Looking...
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Unwrapping Music ONLINE: Modern Protest Music
Unwrapping Music: Modern Protest Music In our past series on Protest music we examined what constitutes a protest music and how it has been used to unite people to act...
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Connecting Voices Community Sing
Connecting Voices is a unique and joy-filled experience for people living with dementia to participate alongside a care partner or companion. This summer we welcome singers to join us as...
Dementia-Friendly Programs
Music has the power to spark memories, strengthen relationships, and bring joy. Explore MacPhail’s dementia-friendly programs for people living with dementia and their care partners—including singing, drumming, storytelling, and choir experiences.
Community Partnerships
Through our Music for Life community partnership program, our trained teaching artists come to your site to deliver a tailor-made program. Class options include general participatory music programs, resident choirs, tone chime choirs, music history/music appreciation lectures, composition projects, intergenerational programs, concert- lecture series and much more. Our classes are tailored to meet the needs of specific care levels including: adult day, assisted living, independent living, intergenerational programming, memory care, and skilled nursing.
Meet Our Music For Life Faculty
Andrea Leap
Nora Paoli
Chris Asp
Interested in individual lessons? Visit our Music Lessons and Classes page.
Questions?
Contact Kristyn Rupp at 612.767.5345 or via email