Updates from Composers Circle

We are thrilled to welcome back George Benskin, who originally created Composers Circle when he was in high school! 

George recently graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in music composition. His primary interests are composition, music theory, media scoring, classical piano, and the instruction of all four disciplines.

Lumina Zhang is a freshman at Princeton University and is the Adult Supervisor for Composers Circle. She has been a longtime Tacy Foundation volunteer and served as the 2021-2025 Composers Circle Chief Intern in high school. Lumina plays piano, viola, and sings. She mainly focuses on composing classical music and writing songs.

Melody Chen is a senior at Poolesville High School and an instructor for Composers Circle. She has been with the program since 2022. As a volunteer, she serves as the Chief Intern for student music performances at her local hospital. Melody plays piano, guzheng (a traditional Chinese instrument), sings, and enjoys composing classical music.

Roy Fischman is a senior at Richard Montgomery High School and an instructor for Composers Circle. He has been with the program since 2020. He has previously served as Chief Intern for student performances at Bedford Court Senior Living during summers and has volunteered with the Tacy Foundation since 2019. Roy plays piano and clarinet and enjoys composing electronic music.

Performance at Brightview Fair Oaks

Joseph Lee

On a beautiful, warm day at the end of February (how often do you get to write that?!), six students — Austin, Daniel, Jaime, Joseph, Max, and Sarah — gathered at Brightview Fair Oaks to share the joy of music with seniors. We performed a wide variety of works, including classical pieces, golden oldies, and a song from a Broadway musical accompanied by piano, violin, and saxophone. The audience especially enjoyed pieces from operas sung beautifully by Jaime (who could hit high notes that I can only dream of playing on my saxophone!). The applause and kind words of appreciation from the residents encouraged us all by showing that our volunteering was making an impact. 

Speaking of appreciation, Ms. Holliday joined us and shared with the residents what led her to form the Tacy Foundation. She then presented a plaque to Max, a chief intern for the site who will be graduating from high school this year and expressed her appreciation for his service to the Foundation over the years.

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From left to right: Sarah, Daniel, Joseph, Austin, Jaime, and Max.

Cards for Wootton High

Karina Willis-Lara

Today, I had the great privilege of bringing 360 handmade cards from Tacy volunteers to Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, MD. (See the letter to the Wootton staff below.)

The wonderful cards team collected and sorted all of the cards to be donated to the school that had suffered a shooting recently. Along with the beautiful, inspiring cards of support for the Wootton HS community were our business cards with QR Codes on the back. These QR Codes reveal videos of our youth playing beautiful music, videos of children’s stories read by teens, videos of soloists who donate their performances, and playlists of Composers Circle original music. Every newsletter has links to these videos.

The Wootton front office staff were so surprised that we would bring such a special gift to their school. They were warm and welcoming. At this school (and now other schools throughout our area) every door to the outside world is locked. Only one door can be opened electronically after the camera has checked for safety. I was grateful to meet four administrators as I gave them the handmade cards and business-size cards with video links. After what they have borne since the shooting event, they are true heroes, as are all of the students who continue there every day.

In this very poignant moment, I am heartened to continue the efforts for communities through music and art, the universal language of the soul. Our volunteers truly make a difference!

Guitar and Piano Pals

Genny Go

Congratulations to the five graduating senior mentors of the Clopper Mill Elementary School (CMES) Guitar and Piano Pals program, all from Poolesville High School! Raaga Daliparti serves as our chief guitar intern, every Friday ensuring that the guitar program is a fun experience for both mentors and students. She and Ramya Chokkalingam have worked wonderfully together as guitar mentors at CMES for the past three years. Santiago Torres Espina has developed quite a fan base among the CMES guitar and piano students, who love chanting "San-tia-go! San-tia-go!" whenever he arrives to pick up his guitar students for lessons. Abhijeet Ghodgaonkar has been a piano mentor since middle school. His diligence and attention to detail as a chief intern have greatly benefited our large group. Ryan Lo, our math-wizard piano intern, volunteered with us until the start of his competitive swim season. He returned to support the group during the recital.

This year, we have been fortunate to receive much-needed support from the CMES PTA and staff. Ms. Joisee Biles welcomed us into her pre-K classroom when we were searching for a new location for the program, ensuring that all the kids finished their MCPS snacks and were ready for their lessons. Her commanding voice was invaluable when the mentors came in to find their students. She connected with all the mentors and came up with the creative idea of recognizing the seniors with handmade, customized stoles for each of them.

Alongside Ms. Jennifer DeCastro, the CMES Community Liaison, she secured the multi-purpose room to provide us with a proper stage for the recital.

Ms. Mae Cardona was our extra set of eyes and ears, ensuring that the students were well-behaved and engaged while they waited for their turn. PTA President Ms. Candy Lopez Morales created beautiful balloon decorations for our recital.

Special thanks to our parent volunteers, Ms. Katherine Phillippy and Ms. Shilpa Ghodgaonkar, for ensuring that all the mentors and students were well-attended to and had a meaningful lesson and experience each week.

It wasn’t long ago that the 22 CMES guitar and piano mentors first met their students on October 24, 2025. They will say goodbye to them on March 27, 2026. You can see how the gentle and nurturing mentors taught the 30 CMES students who signed up for piano only, guitar only, or both piano and guitar during the recital on March 13, 2026, here.

Seated, L-R: Ms. Mae Cardona and Ms. Joisee Biles; Standing, L-R: Raaga Daliparti, Santiago Torres Espina, Ramya Chokkalingam, Abhijeet Ghodgaonkar, and Ryan Lo.

Of Note: Site supervisor Dr. Saeed would like to commend Hali, Hooman, and Arrune for their exceptional performance on March 15 at the Hebrew Home Landow House in Rockville. As chief interns and a team of three (see photo), they successfully managed the entire hour and maintained great engagement with our audience. The center employees expressed their sincere appreciation and were very impressed with their performances.

My Story as a Volunteer Musician

Austen Ji

My name is Austen Siteng Ji. I’m a current senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. My experience as a volunteer musician, young artist, and leader has been special. Playing my viola in front of the seniors always makes me happy because I can see their enjoyment. I distinctly remember one senior always saying “beautiful!” after whatever I play, and I always enjoy the seniors’ smiles. It warms my heart, as their hearts are warmed.

I have served at many places, but my go-to in recent months has been the Brightview Fair Oaks. I have also played at Brightview Great Falls, Harmony at Chantilly, Sunrise Oakton, and many other facilities that I honestly can’t remember the name of.

I’ve been associated with the Tacy Foundation for almost three years now! The majority of my service hours has been dedicated to the seniors. Especially in the Northern Virginia area, I’ve been dedicated to serving those who are less fortunate, not only by performing music but also by increasing awareness of potentially helpful technologies. For example, I am currently organizing a fair at TJHSST dedicated to increasing awareness of assistive technology, as assistive technology isn’t as widely known as it should be.

In my last few months living in the Northern Virginia area before I head off to college, I’ll most likely continue to return to Brightview Fair Oaks. I especially love this location because it’s the only location where I get to play to two separate senior groups: the general seniors and those in memory care.

A New Musical Chapter

Elaine Zhang

I am a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and a cellist. Over the years, music has become not just a passion, but a powerful way for me to connect with others. Throughout my musical journey, I’ve been fortunate to perform for seniors in my community, both independently and through the Tacy Foundation. These experiences have been some of the most meaningful and memorable parts of my growth as a musician.

There is something uniquely special about sharing music in these settings. Practicing alone can be fulfilling, but nothing compares to the joy of seeing a resident’s face light up when they recognize a familiar melody or begin to delight in a new one. In just a few minutes, music can brighten a room, awaken memories, and create a deep sense of connection. Being part of these moments has shown me how powerful music can be, not only for those listening, but also for those performing.

Inspired by these heartwarming experiences, I wanted to help bring more music into my community. While searching for local opportunities, I discovered Sunrise of Falls Church, a nearby senior living community that currently does not host regular musical performances. I saw an opportunity to create something meaningful here — a place where the kind of moments I’ve experienced could happen more often.

My hope is that Sunrise of Falls Church will become a welcoming place where Tacy Foundation volunteers can regularly share their music, spread joy, and build lasting connections with residents. I warmly invite fellow student musicians to join me in this effort. Whether you are just beginning your musical journey or have been playing for years, whether you perform solo or with friends, your music has the power to make a difference.

This is more than a performance opportunity: it is a chance to share something personal, to connect across generations, and to be part of moments that stay with both you and your audience long after the music ends. I hope you’ll consider being part of it!