Since 1972, Audiences Unlimited, Inc. (AUI) has served Northeast Indiana by presenting live music in area nursing homes. Now, for their 45th anniversary, the nonprofit organization is proud to announce the launch of “ME at L.A.D.A.”, a music enrichment program created in partnership with L.I.F.E. Adult Day Academy (L.A.D.A.) to serve the academy’s clients: adults in the Fort Wayne community with physical and developmental disabilities.
From the start, AUI has operated with a vision to make arts accessible. The founder’s vision to offer nursing home residents musical experiences has grown into nearly 3,000 annual arts performances that bring joy and enhance quality of life—all at a cost that care facilities can afford.
“While current programming will continue, we are thrilled to launch a new program reaching individuals who otherwise may not experience the arts,” says Anna Ross, Executive Director of AUI.
AUI expanded its mission statement four years ago to serve people of all ages who have limited access to the arts. The pilot program developed with L.A.D.A. is the first expression of the new mission, reaching an audience that faces barriers to arts experiences for reasons other than aging. With guidance from Heather Palmer, music therapist and owner of It Is Music Time LCC., the organization has designed the program to offer L.A.D.A.’s clients access to live professional performances that are tailored to their needs and musical preferences.
The program will feature three interactive performances over 18 weeks, a six-week choral class leading up to a performance and a social dance for clients and their loved ones. The music is expected to promote social, physical and emotional well-being.
“We are overjoyed and very thankful for what the Music Enrichment program will mean here at LADA. Music encourages our students to achieve their personal goals and maximizes their success. The positive effects it has on all student behavior by turning around anxiety and depression, specifically uplifting students’ spirits, is simply amazing,” says Lloyd Jones, CEO and Executive Director of L.I.F.E. Adult Day Academy.
The new program is made possible by a grant from the AWS Foundation.
Primarily funded by foundations and community donors, AUI currently serves as a liaison between 145 professional artists and 50 long-term care facilities in Allen, DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, and Steuben Counties. Last year, AUI reached 16,740 individuals.