The Melody Lane Singers is a choir consisting of people living with memory changes, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, their care-partners, friends, and community members. We are dedicated to enriching lives through intergenerational choral music, and our mission is to create opportunities for people to connect and thrive through singing together. We are excited to express our love of the Chequamegon Bay area through service, artistry, and inclusion with a particular focus on the holistic inclusion of people living with memory and thinking changes. Fall 2025 will be our first season, and we are so excited!
Interim Administrative Director: Vincent Schueren
Email: SpoonsForThePoeple@gmail.com
Artistic Director: Vincent Schueren
Community Advisory Group Facilitator: Dana Churness
Accompanist: Christine Hulmer
Rehearsal Assistant: Sadira Burgess
Rehearsal and Performance Dates
(Fall 2025)
All rehearsals will take place at Stone Soup Cafe in Ashland, WI unless otherwise noted!
Rehearsals will be 60-90 minutes with tea time afterward!
Rehearsal: Thursday, September 18 at 10:00 AM
Rehearsal: Thursday, September 25 at 10:00 AM
Rehearsal: Thursday, October 2 at 10:00 AM
Rehearsal: Thursday, October 9 at 10:00 AM
Rehearsal: Thursday, October 16 at 10:00 AM
Rehearsal: Thursday, October 23 at 10:00 AM
Rehearsal: Thursday, October 30 at 10:00 AM
Rehearsal: Thursday, November 6 at 10:00 AM
DRESS REHEARSAL: Thursday, November 13 at 10:00 AM
(Location: United Presbyterian Congregational Church)
PERFORMANCE: Saturday, November 15 at 1:00 PM
(Location: United Presbyterian Congregational Church)
Rehearsal: Thursday, November 20 at 10:00 AM
SPRING 2026 DATES:
Thursdays at 10:00 AM at Stone Soup Cafe (Ashland)
REHEARSALS: February 12 through April 16th
PERFORMANCE: Midday on April 11 or 12 (TBA)
Welcome Message from our Director:
[COMING SOON!]
Sing with Us!
Singing is SO much fun!! You’ll love it. To sing with us, you can send an email to our director and introduce yourself ahead of time. Or, simply show up to the first rehearsal! All singers are welcome regardless of your singing skill level and whether or not you’ve been diagnosed with a memory-related condition. If a singer needs transportation assistance or individual support during rehearsals, let us know and we will do our best to pair the singer with a volunteer singer. We ask a financial contribution of between $25 and $50 per season from each singer. If this causes financial stress, please contact us—assistance is available.
Volunteer and Donation Opportunities!
We are in our first year of operations and could use your help as we grow and change! Please scroll down to fill out our volunteer form or learn how you can help us financially. There are ways to help whether or not you plan to sing with the choir!
Repertoire and Practice Tracks
(Fall 2025)
You can practice our repertoire by singing along with these tracks at home!
Fall 2025 Repertoire:
Melody Lane Theme Song:
(no recording available)
Morning has Broken (Cat Stevens)
Simple Gifts (Shaker Hymn)
Blowin' in the Wind (Bob Dylan)
Stand by Me (Leiber, Stroller, and King)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (Paul Simon)
This Land is Your Land (Woodie Guthrie)
Those Were the Days (Gene Raskin)
Singin' in the Rain (Brown and Freed)
You Gotta Be (Des'ree)
Volunteer with Us!
Donate to Melody Lane Singers!
We are community funded and do not have ongoing financial support to rely on! Any funds you’re able to give are SO appreciated and will go toward our fundraising goal of $7500 for the 2025-26 season. Meeting this goal will allow us to continue to operate the choir for a second year. From all of us, many thanks.
Ways to Donate:
Cash:
Please give any cash to our administrative director, Vincent Schueren (spoonsforthepeople@gmail.com)
Check:
Please make the check out to “Stone Soup Cafe” (our fiscal agent) and write “Melody Lane Singers” in the memo line. If this money is for paying your choir dues, write “Melody Lane Singers—Fall 2025 Dues” in the memo line. Give check to Vincent Schueren (spoonsforthepeople@gmail.com)
Venmo:
Make a payment to Stone Soup (Venmo username is @stonesoupcheqbay) and write “Melody Lane Singers” in the box that says ‘what is this for?’.
Card Payment:
[Not yet available]
Thank you!
We are so incredibly grateful for the Giving Voice Initiative (click here to go to their web page). They are a non-profit based in Minneapolis, and they have provided logistical support, numerous resources, and a one-time $5,000 grant to help us get started. This grant is part of their ‘Rural Initiatives’ Program (click here to learn more).
Thank you to Northlakes Community Clinic and their community health worker, Dana Churness, for providing logistical and personnel support
Thank you to Sean VanZeeland at VZ Music (click here) for offering his piano moving and repair services at half price!
Thank you to our fabulous accompanist, Christine Hulmer, for your time and talents.
And, finally, thank you to ALL of our singers and volunteers!
SEEKING ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR STARTING SPRING 2025!
Contact Vince Schueren if interested to learn more!