Summary/AbstractOur experience evaluating a museum program for people with dementia together with their family members demonstrated benefits for all participants. We hypothesized that participation in a chorus would also have positive effects, giving them an opportunity to share a stimulating and social activity that could improve their quality of life. We inaugurated a chorus for people with dementia and their family caregivers in 2011, which rehearses and performs regularly. Each person with dementia must be accompanied by a friend or family member and must commit to attending all rehearsals and the concert that ensues. A pilot study included a structured assessment, take home questionnaires and focus groups. Analyses of pre-post scores were conducted; effect size was quantified using Cohen's d. Results showed that quality of life and communication with the other member of the dyad improved (Effect size: Cohen's d between 0.32 and 0.72) for people with dementia; quality of life, social support, communication and self-esteem improved (d between 0.29 and 0.68) for caregivers. Most participants stated that benefits included belonging to a group, having a normal activity together and learning new skills. Participants attended rehearsals in spite of harsh weather conditions. The chorus has been rehearsing and performing together for more than 6 years and contributing to its costs. Results of this pilot study suggest that people in the early to middle stage of dementia and their family members and friends can enjoy and learn from rehearsing and performing in concerts that also engage the wider community. It is essential to conduct additional larger studies of the benefits of participating in a chorus, which may include improved quality of life and social support for all, and reduced cognitive decline among people with dementia. IntroductionArts and culture-based activities are gradually gaining recognition as potentially effective interventions to improve the quality of life of people with dementia (Zeilig et al., 2014). Less attention has been paid to interventions that are designed to also include caregivers, and the effects of these experiences on all participants. The results of our evaluation of Meet Me at MoMA, the MoMA Alzheimer's Project (Mittelman and Epstein, 2008) convinced us of the value of this kind of program and highlighted the desire of people with dementia and their family members to participate in shared experiences in the arts in which they felt welcome, rather than stigmatized because of the illness. We hypothesized that making music together, rehearsing, and giving concerts, might provide even greater benefits than a museum visit, as people with dementia and their family members could work together to create a joyful experience for themselves and for their audience. To test this hypothesis, in 2011 we founded a chorus for people with dementia and their family caregivers, and conducted a pilot study of its effects. The primary purpose of the chorus was to improve the wellbeing of caregivers by...