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Under Jacqueline McCurdy’s direction, Second Verse Choir makes beautiful music where speech science meets the singing voice

Rehearsals for the in Denver are punctuated by binders of large-print lyrics and volunteers interspersed among the singers. When Jacqueline McCurdy raises her hands, people who sometimes struggle to find words in conversation open their mouths and find them in song.��

McCurdy is the choral director for Second Verse, an ensemble for people living with dementia and memory loss that recently began a new session. The background she brings to her role is rare, including a doctorate in musical arts and a master’s degree in speech, language and hearing sciences from the �鶹��Ѱ�����.

More important is her science-backed understanding of what happens inside the human brain and vocal cords when music is made.��

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Jacqueline McCurdy is a �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder speech, language and hearing sciences alumna who directs the Second Verse Choir. (Photo: Second Verse Choir)

Overcoming and rediscovering

McCurdy’s path to the directing podium of Second Verse Choir didn’t start in the sciences.��

“Being a speech-language pathologist is a career change for me,” she says. “Prior to pursuing the degree, I was a classically trained singer.”��

McCurdy holds a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Iowa. Her on-stage career as a professional performer includes stints in opera, musical theater, orchestra solos and caroling.��

However, a vocal injury while pursuing her doctorate would send her in a new direction. Wanting to better understand the mechanics of the voice, she earned a Certificate in Vocology from the National Center for Voice and Speech.��

When the pandemic arrived, it introduced yet another speed bump, limiting opportunities for both teaching and performing.��

“A colleague in the Opera Colorado chorus suggested I try speech-language pathology,” she recalls. “I started my leveling classes at Metropolitan State University and eventually moved to the graduate program at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder.”��

At �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder, McCurdy found herself embracing the combination of science and music she’d been circling for years.��

“I do miss singing and making music the way I had dreamed, but I have loved turning to this field. No regrets,” she says.��

During her studies, she encountered research on music as a route to unlocking language centers in the brain. The story unfolded from there.

“As I had been interested in the junction of where music and speech-language pathology meet, I actually suggested starting an aphasia choir at the speech clinic at �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder as a student,” she says.��

As she prepared to bring that idea to her supervisor, she spotted an opening at Second Verse Choir, applied and was hired.��

A different kind of rehearsal

A traditional choral director walking into a Second Verse Choir rehearsal might find the environment disorienting. The expectations are different here, but intentionally so.��

The participants range widely in both experience and ability, from lifelong singers who read music fluently to those who simply enjoy singing along to their favorite melodies. McCurdy directs voices that have changed with age and strives to meet each singer where they are.��

“I have to be flexible and adapt to the vocal ability to each participant and place them where they have comfort,” she says.��

Volunteers who are singers themselves sit among the participants throughout rehearsals and performances to offer support. Lyric sheets ensure no one is left reliant on a memory that isn’t what it once was.��

Jacqueline McCurdy (front row center) with members of the Second Verse Choir. (Photo: Second Verse Choir)

The culture McCurdy nurtures is one where imperfection is both expected and accepted.��

“The focus is less on singing for perfection as it is just to sing the songs for enjoyment,” she says.��

Her approach is greatly influenced by her clinical training as a speech-language pathologist.��

“I merge therapeutic practices of speech-language pathology into rehearsals by using errorless learning, repetition and patient-led sessions,” McCurdy explains. “I begin rehearsals by having the choir tell me what they would like to work on before I jump into my agenda.”��

From there, each song is revisited at every rehearsal, giving participants a chance to engage with the music over-and-over.��

Discussions about lyrical meaning, emotional subtext and storytelling are also woven into the music-making to help participants engage on a deeper level. But the most important rule, McCurdy says, is to keep things positive and have fun.��

Unlocking the power of music

Scientists have long wondered why music reaches people with memory challenges when language cannot.��

McCurdy has seen it happen firsthand.��

“One of the participants in Second Verse Choir commented on how sometimes she has trouble expressing herself, but with singing a song it comes out easy,” she says.��

Research has confirmed that certain mental capacities are resistant to cognitive decline. Musical memory and response to music are among them, even in the late stages of dementia.��

“In the world of memory loss and dementia, research has found that certain activities are resistant to decline, like enjoyment of music and musical preferences,” she says. “Singing can also have deeper benefits like improving behavior, mood and cognitive function (including verbal processing and recall of past events).”��

Familiarity is another important element of her work with Second Verse. For the choir’s first concert, she made sure that even if a song wasn’t a favorite, it was at least known.��

The result was easy to hear.��

“I noticed a stark difference with a song in a medley that was much less familiar for the choir, taking them longer to learn and develop ease of singing. When the song was familiar, the notes came quicker, as did the rhythm and harmony,” she says.

More than singing

Of course, the mission of Second Verse Choir is about much more than the music itself. McCurdy has watched participants arrive guarded and leave transformed after the 15-week session.��

“The course of this disease will not be altered by pharmacological intervention. Music, especially singing in a choir, can be an adjunct in treatment to improve mood and bring joy and it reduces loss of identity by improving the way participants see themselves and improving the way they relate to other people,” she says.��

Community-building also has become a secondary benefit. As participants gather to rehearse and sing together, they build relationships with others who can relate to the difficulties of living with memory loss.��

“I have watched participants grow from not really interacting with others to developing strong relationships with the other members, which has turned the group into a wonderful community,” McCurdy says.��

For those who haven’t yet experienced what music can do, McCurdy has a prescription.��

“Participating in making music can have a protective effect on cognitive decline—so learn to play an instrument, play in a band, orchestra, or sing in choir,” she says. “And do it as long as you can.”

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