Through collaboratively designed music programming, Iris fosters connection, purpose, and belonging for community members, their caregivers, and musicians.
We believe that all people, regardless of economic status, age or illness, deserve to live with a sense of purpose and meaning. Making that possible requires a paradigm shift in how we think about care.
Iris musicians, trained in our unique Ensemble-in-Residence model, and embedded in care communities across the United States, will play a crucial role in making this paradigm shift possible.
What is our Ensemble-in-Residence model?
Rather than bringing musicians into a community for one-time performances, Iris embeds a team of 2–3 professional musicians within a single senior living or healthcare community for an extended period of time. Musicians develop relationships with residents, staff, and caregivers through frequent, varied musical experiences—while actively learning about the community’s interests, stories, expertise, and talents.
Musicians build relationships
Over time, these relationships become creative partnerships. Musicians and community members learn from one another, sharing their expertise and taking on different roles as performers, audience members, collaborators, and students. Together, they co-create musical experiences that reflect the unique people and interests of each community.
Residents become collaborators
Shared creativity sparks a feedback loop
Each creative experience can spark the next, creating a feedback loop of ideas and artistic discovery. A participant might work one-on-one with a musician to develop a lecture on a topic of their choice, for example, inspiring the musicians to incorporate its themes, music, or genre into a future concert. That concert might then spark a new conversation or creative idea.
Iris’ Ensemble-in-Residence model in action
Triangles represent musicians and circles represent participants.
For an in-depth description of the model along with case studies, read Executive Director Lauren Latessa’s article, “Music-making in a senior living community: Iris Music Project’s Ensemble-in-Residence model,” in the Journal of Applied Arts & Health.
In 2024, Iris Music Project produced Songs of Courage, a suite of narrative songs co-created by musicians and older adults from three different communities. The songs highlight the creative exchange and lasting connections our Ensemble-in-Residence model cultivates.
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