July 2024

The Tacy Foundation empowers children and teens to share hope and joy with hospital patients, military veterans, senior citizens, and disadvantaged youth through performances, music recording projects, and music mentoring programs.

Director’s Corner: Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Long-awaited summer travel plans are now in motion. Our volunteers travel all over the world to visit families on other continents: to Asia, Africa, the Mideast, Europe, South America, Central America, and North America, including all USA states and Canada. While some volunteers travel, those who remain here in the nation's capital area step up to continue their monthly live-music events for seniors and for hospitals.

Piano Pals and Guitar Pals will continue at Tanglewood Apartments Housing Opportunities Commission (HOC) during the summer. Piano Pals training for children and seniors will be ongoing in preparation for the fall in-school programs. The HOC management has requested Piano Pals in multiple locations. After visiting the closing concert at Tanglewood Apartments in Silver Spring in May, officials came on their day off and asked for Piano Pals in other facilities.

Piano Pals for Seniors is expanding to a number of senior facilities. The Chief Intern, a student at Winston Churchill HS, is linking teens with facilities as the requests arrive. Summer is the best time to explore internships for teens with seniors. Beyond the once-a-month live-music programs, teens have the freedom to donate their time to support their senior friends. Their efforts encourage assisted-living staff in their very rewarding and challenging work with the elderly who have built our community through their work and family lives.

On June 1st, BlackRock Center in Germantown provided a beautiful location for my studio's Benefit Concert for the Tacy Foundation. All participants, including a teen photographer from Northern Virginia, Nandini Kumar, were in the middle of end-of-year school projects. Remarkably, they participated all evening in a most generous and meaningful way.

We raised $1000! These funds will be judiciously used for the mentoring programs and supplies for the upcoming school year. We invite all of you to join us in sending contributions to the Foundation's ongoing outreach to inspire hope. Donations may be made on the website via PayPal, or checks may be sent to:

The Tacy Foundation

PO Box 2334

Germantown, MD 20875

Graduating senior Nidhi Parekh, a volunteer since the age of 8, Chief Intern for Asbury Assisted Living, Piano Pals Chief Intern at Fox Chapel since 6th grade, and Benefit Concert participant since 2020, prepared a slideshow for BlackRock Center's Benefit Concert. See the slideshow that Nidhi created from others’ photos of this annual event that began in 2014.

Watch the beautiful slideshow below:

We all send our best wishes and sounds of hope throughout July and August!

Charlotte Tacy Holliday, Founder & Executive Director

Military Service Thank You Cards

Mario Lara, Tacy Foundation Chief Card Intern

Trajectories for Your Brain: Positive Habits of Mind

On June 5 Randall Faber posted a blog on brain development, including the role of music. Two excerpts:

“Enter the musical arts. Imagine music study as a basecamp for developing positive habits of mind. Hours of practice, years of sustained skill development, and the powerful influence of coaches and mentors embed not only finely tuned perceptual and motor skill neural networks, but also foundational skills that include the habits of discipline, practice, and learning strategies.”

“Does this sound like piano practice? Routines of hard work, disciplined engagement, focused repetition. Indeed, the diligent music student is developing positive habits of mind— foundational neural circuitry for positive growth. Fueled by curiosity, courage, caring and grit, a little discomfort goes a long way. So does a lot of practice.”

You can access the entire blog below

Performances at the Hopkins Howard County General Hospital

Man Lee

We had another successful performance last weekend (June 18-19). Five musicians played piano, clarinet, violin, cello and Guzheng (a Chinese music instrument that sounds like a harp.)

We had quite a few audience members, and they were very impressed. Our next performance is Sunday 6/29.

Beethoven’s Afflictions

A recent analysis of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair indicated that his deafness and ill health were likely caused by severe lead poisoning. The great composer gradually lost his hearing and was deaf by age 30. “Experts believe that cheap wine – sweetened with lead acetate, or ‘lead sugar’ – may have been the culprit. Beethoven famously drank a bottle a day.”

Source: The Week, May 24, 2024, page 21.

Going Beyond My Comfort Zone

Adi Strope

This year, I played a program for the American College of Musicians — National Guild of Piano Teachers to earn a Social Music Diploma. Although it was one of the most challenging and rigorous endeavors I've attempted, I enjoyed the process. It was definitely worth all the hours I put into learning and perfecting each piece (to the best of my ability). Playing in front of the judge was very rewarding, and I felt that all the time I had dedicated had paid off. Even though the requirements were high, I tried my hardest to fulfill them.

I've been involved with the Tacy Foundation and its services for many years. From playing at hospitals, to teaching elementary schoolers for Piano Pals, even playing at Black Rock, every moment I get to spend sharing music is a moment to cherish. I am very lucky to have these opportunities as they allow me to grow as a musician.

The Social Music Diploma made me learn that even if you're unsure of whether you can achieve something, it's important to try and work for it. Putting yourself outside of your comfort zone is the best way to grow and accomplish more than you may have believed possible.

CMES Piano & Guitar Pals Mentors

Jennifer DeCastro, Community School Liaison, Clopper Mill E.S. (Genny)

Below is a link to the videos and pictures from the 2024 Clopper Mill ES Piano and Guitar Pals Closing Program that have been approved for sharing with mentors and families. Thank you, mentors, for mentoring your students and thank you to your parents for supporting you in your leadership pursuits. You have made a difference by volunteering your time and talents.  

The Tacy Foundation

Educational Mission: Foster youth development through music, story and mentoring

Philanthropic Mission: Empower youth to discover and use their gifts in service to others

Social Mission: Build community partnerships and create intergenerational connections

Whom We Serve

Seniors

Children

Teens

Service members

Veterans

Injured/sick

Economically disadvantaged

Individuals who want to serve

How We Serve (Programs)

Live music concerts

Reading Express®

Piano Pals®

Guitar Pals®

Composers’ Circle

Music USBs

Musical equipment

COVID projects through video, email, cards, puzzles for outreach to the community

Charlotte Holliday, Founder and Executive Director

Matthew D. Scott and Michael Tacy, Graphic Editors

Michael Favin, Chief Editor

Zoe Bell, Teen Editor

Max Belyanstev, Teen Editor

Donations are appreciated.  All adult and teen staff are volunteers.  No salaries or benefits. Every dollar you donate goes to supplies for all projects offered to the community. 

Thank you!