Mary Sue Wilkinson

Mary Sue Wilkinson is the founder of Singing Heart to HeartTM  and the Young at Heart Music Program. She is a career educator and a professional musician. And she loves to sing! Her flagship program, Young at Heart Music, is devoted to bringing the joy of music and singing to seniors with decades of life experiences and memories tied to music. Mary Sue is available as a trainer and as a keynote speaker sharing her expertise about the power of music to awaken memories, foster connection and bring joy. Her book "Songs You Know By Heart: A Simple Guide for Using Music in Dementia Care" includes a contribtuion from leading dementia care specialist Teepa Snow as well as Mary Sue's CD “Songs You Know By Heart." Her E-Book “Finding Memories through Music: A Family Interview” as well as other resources are available on her website: www.SingingHeartToHeart.com. Together with Tiyi Schippers, Mary Sue also provides music experiences for young children and training for early childhood educators.

Mary Sue currently lives in Traverse City, Michigan. Her son Jesse, his wife Karla and baby Leon live right down the road, making Grandma Mary Sue very happy. In addition to singing with seniors, Mary Sue still occasionally finds time to sing with young children and her Americana duo Drive South.

Teepa Snow

Today’s Voice for Dementia, Teepa Snow is one of the world’s leading advocates and educators for anyone living with dementia. 
 
Teepa’s philosophy is reflective of her education, work experience, medical research, and first hand caregiving experiences. Her advocacy efforts led her to the development of the GEMS™ dementia classification model and the Positive Approach to Care™ training strategies. 
 
An Occupational Therapist by trade, she graduated from Duke University and has an MS degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Teepa has impacted hundreds of organizations worldwide with her education, now sold in over 30 countries. 
 
Teepa’s personal mission is to help others better understand how it feels to be living with dementia. She utilizes her gifts of role play to demonstrate behavioral states and stages of dementia. This results in greater understanding for her audiences. 
 
Her company, Positive Approach to Care, was founded in 2006 and offers person centered training opportunities in the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK. Training options include dementia certification programs for professionals and hands on skill training for family caregivers, community groups and healthcare organizations. For further details, access to educational video clips, training tools and other resources visit www.teepasnow.com