♩ Director’s Corner

February 5, 2023, was an important traditional holiday in Chinese culture, the 15th day of the Lunar New Year. On that occasion, four Tacy volunteers gave a musical performance for senior citizens of the Hope Chinese School. The musicians included veteran Tacy volunteers Sophia Lin and Gloria Bao, as well as two new volunteers, Claire Ash and Ellen Zhang. The four Tacy volunteers proudly displayed the Tacy Foundation poster before and after the performance. The performance was very welcomed and appreciated by the seniors, as well as a very good experience for the volunteer musicians. The leader of the seniors expressed that they would like to have more performances in the future. During the performance, the leader of the class told me that the class seniors belonged to the Silver-Light Senior Association, a U.S. government-supported organization.

As I think about my last few months of high school, I look back to how I have contributed and made a difference through the Tacy Foundation. In 2017, I began volunteering for the Tacy Foundation in multiple senior living facilities, performing pieces on the piano for the residents. Although I was young, the residents’ joy after each recital made me realize the great impact that I could have on others. After two years of volunteering, I began the role of Chief Intern at Harmony at Chantilly. 
 
After serving as Chief Intern for approximately a year, I had to take a break because volunteer projects were put on hold due to COVID-19. Eventually, when recitals resumed, I realized that, due to the social distancing and isolation caused by the pandemic, loneliness and boredom had grown among our audiences. This prompted me to think of more ways to help beyond the monthly recitals I had been organizing. I reached out to the director of Harmony at Chantilly, and we came up some ideas. 

At first, I volunteered at the memory care wing of the retirement center, whose residents could clearly benefit from additional support. I created arts and craft ideas, which, after testing them myself, I shared in classes with the residents. The residents found so much joy and excitement in making small pieces of artwork, which the director displayed around the facility. It not only brightened the rooms, but also people’s spirits. I was told that the residents enjoyed playing games, so I organized bingo games, which they loved. The director also set up a bus ride activity in which I accompanied everyone while boarding and kept them company as they enjoyed the ride. 

I then began volunteering on the main side of Harmony. It was a different experience but just as enjoyable and impactful. I helped with sing-alongs by mouthing lyrics to help residents follow along. I also created different groups to sing different parts of the songs. In addition, I played bingo, password, and other board games with the residents. I would say they were quite competitive. By far, my favorite part of this whole experience was simply talking to the residents. They love talking about their lives, especially their kids. I enjoyed listening, and they appreciated the company. 

My hopes are to encourage new and current high schoolers to give back with their talents, free time, and desire to volunteer. Volunteering has given me a sense of fulfillment. I learned to be selfless and use my privileges and talents to better my community, which I intend to continue as I begin college this upcoming fall. 

After years of playing the piano for different community homes and participating in different projects, I wanted a place where I could perform weekly. I chose Sunrise of McLean, which was fitting for many reasons. It shares a name with the first community home I performed in for the Tacy Foundation, always reminding me of that nostalgic recital in a charming venue. It also lacked as many live-music performances as other facilities, which was surprising given the residents’ enthusiasm whenever I played: the audience responded after each piece with loud hoots and gracious applause. Finally, the facility was also located far away from other community homes, despite being close to multiple schools, including my middle school.

I started performing there in August of 2022 as a volunteer, dedicating an hour of my time each week to bring the joy of music to the elderly residents. I always looked forward to playing for my audience and was eager to bring joy to those who work and reside at Sunrise. As I played, I found myself wanting to share this experience with more people. After a spirited New Year’s program that ended in hoots and hugs, I was inspired to bring more people to the site.

Under Ms. Holliday’s support, I contacted Ms. Bell, the new activity coordinator at Sunrise, to initiate Tacy’s program on this new site starting in January 2023. It took a while to coordinate with Sunrise and Tacy, but I remained determined to make it happen. In the meantime, I invited middle school students to join Tacy, capitalizing on the site’s proximity to my middle school. Ms. Holliday also recommended the site to new volunteers in the area, such as my friend Gloria Bao.

While waiting for a response from Ms. Bell, I organized a performance with four volunteers for the Silver-Light Organization at Hope Chinese School for the Lantern Festival (the fifteenth and last day of the Lunar New Year) celebration on February 5th. This was a great success, and we received a warm welcome from the audience. This gave us the motivation to continue with our efforts and inspired us to do even more.

Finally, on Sunday, February 19th, I organized our first official performance at Sunrise at McLean. The seniors were excited to hear the diverse range of music, with Claire Ash and I playing the piano and Gloria Bao playing the violin. They filled up the space in wheelchairs and with applause, and they eagerly asked when the next performance would be. We are excited to welcome more volunteers to join us and be a part of this amazing community service opportunity.

Through this experience, I learned the importance of music as a tool for bringing people together, especially during difficult times. Regardless of our backgrounds, cultures, or ages, music has the power to connect us on a deeper level. It was truly rewarding to see the smiles on the faces of the seniors and the joy that our music brought them. I am also proud to introduce a new generation of young volunteers to Tacy, maintaining the virtuous cycle of giving back. This experience has taught me the value of serving our community, and I hope to inspire others to find their unique way of doing the same.