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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.
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Director’s Corner:
Dear Friends of the Tacy Foundation,
This past month, I was deeply honored to be named one of Nextstar Media’s Remarkable Women of 2025. The experience of gathering in Hollywood with other women who serve their communities in countless ways was humbling and unforgettable. But as I stood among them, my thoughts turned to you — our volunteers, families, and young people who inspire me every single day.
This recognition is not mine alone. It belongs to every youth who shares music at a senior center or hospital bedside, every parent who supports quietly behind the scenes, and every volunteer who crafts a card or reads a book for a child they may never meet. It belongs to those who film music videos, share messages of hope, or give their time and hearts to lift others through kindness and creativity.
Through your hands and hearts, the Foundation’s mission comes alive. Your work tells the story of compassion in action. Whether it’s a child’s voice reading a story on our YouTube channel, a handmade card arriving in a hospital room, or a music video bringing calm to someone in distress, you are the heartbeat of this work.
Please take a moment to listen, to watch, to read. Visit our online portal and experience the playlists created by these brave hearts. Let their voices remind you that healing, hope, and love are alive and well in our community.
To all of you who make this work possible, thank you. You are remarkable. And together, we are creating something truly beautiful.
With gratitude,
Charlotte Tacy Holliday
Founder & Executive Director
The Tacy Foundation
In response to many emails congratulating her on the award, Mrs. Holliday wrote:
Thank you so very much for all of your support in surprising me this past month with the extraordinary Remarkable Women Awards experience at Nexstar Media in California! As the winner from the Washington, DC area, I traveled with my daughter to Los Angeles last weekend. I was amazed beyond words by the stories of the other 124 winners who came from all over the USA! Karina Willis-Lara nominated me without my knowledge. And Nexstar surprised me every step of the journey with the staff’s generosity and care. Nexstar Media will be sending a check for $1000 to The Tacy Foundation.
Most of all, thank you for your incredible support through the years of growing the Tacy Foundation. I am forever inspired by those who attended the Remarkable Women's Awards Events and by Nexstar's great care of each one of us for the entire two days of activities. And I could never have joined them without your tremendous vision, hard work, and diligence on behalf of youth in our communities here.
Your incredible part in this experience is priceless.
Thank you all from every fiber of my heart, mind, and soul. ❤️
On May 10 WDVM will broadcast a program on the Remarkable Women awards from 8-9pm. (According to Wikipedia, “WDVM-TV (channel25) is an independent television station licensed to Hagerstown, Maryland, United States, serving the Washington, D.C., television market.”)
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Charlotte Holliday Wins “Remarkable Women” Award
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In November 2024, as I was watching DC News Now (Channel 531 on Verizon), a news story aired asking viewers to nominate “remarkable women” who make an impact in our communities by what they do every day. This honor, during Women’s History Month, is an initiative created and maintained by the Nexstar Media Group, Inc. Of course, as soon as I heard these first few sentences, I immediately thought of Charlotte Holliday, our Founder and Executive Director of The Tacy Foundation! I quickly filled out the online nomination form. Fast forward to January 2025… CONGRATULATIONS, CHARLOTTE, for just receiving the “Remarkable Woman” award for our viewing area!
Charlotte joins a select group of 125 other women from across the United States of America with this honor. The nomination process included a committee review of the individuals based on their accomplishments, selflessness and community impact. I’m sure all of you would agree that Charlotte has all these attributes.
Her “community impact” is woven into the Tacy Foundation’s many missions, including: an Educational Mission to foster youth development through music, story and mentoring; a Philanthropic Mission to empower youth to discover and use their gifts in service to others; and a Social Mission to build community partnerships and create intergenerational connections!
“Selflessness” describes Charlotte because of her extraordinary focus on giving back to people in need from all walks of life, including seniors, children, teens, service members, veterans, injured/sick, economically disadvantaged and individuals who want to serve. She continues to create, lead and participate in countless opportunities not only through the Tacy Foundation but also in her community.
“Accomplishments” include Charlotte’s founding, maintaining and expanding of the Tacy Foundation. She is the owner and creator of the Holliday Piano Studio. Charlotte studied at the University of Kentucky and Manhattan School of Music.
In addition to receiving this award, Charlotte won a trip to Los Angeles, California, including airfare, VIP treatment, and lots of celebratory events! The Nexstar Charitable Foundation also donated $1000 to Charlotte’s nonprofit to amplify her community cause!
In March, many of you may have seen this news story about Charlotte’s award and the staged reveal – (Watch it here!). Thank you to the many volunteers and friends who attended Charlotte’s reveal at the Casey Community Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland. These individuals shared their messages of appreciation of Charlotte on camera, along with signing her special congratulatory card and recognizing her for being a “Remarkable Woman”!
Thank you to Richard Pedersen, President of The Tacy Foundation, and Tacy Holliday for planning the special event. A special thank you to my family, Mario, Ruki and Mario Lara, for setting up table, chairs, food and beverage along with cleaning up after the event!
Please join me again in congratulating Charlotte on this award. Charlotte is a remarkable woman who truly exhibits innovation, creativity, and an entrepreneurial spirit. She impacts her volunteers, her recipients and the entire community, including Virginia, neighboring Maryland counties, and military facilities like Fisher Houses around the country, along with Veterans Affairs Hospitals.
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A Testimonial on the Award
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This testimonial came as a text from Mike Engel, the recording studio owner who recorded over 50 CDs for the Foundation from 2009 to 2020, when COVID stopped our CD projects. (Now we send video playlists to hospitals and seniors.) -- CH
A very special person, Charlotte Holliday, whom I have known and worked with for over 35 years, was given this amazing surprise award.
Please watch the video at the link below to see her reaction when she found out that she was even nominated for this award. I want to say that the video doesn't even cover all of the amazing things she has done for everyone in our local music community.
Let’s start from the beginning:
Charlotte was introduced to me as a wonderful piano teacher. For many years she taught my son how to become an amazing musician, and he still enjoys playing to this day.
Charlotte would take her students to nursing homes every month to give concerts for the elderly. That blossomed to giving concerts in hospitals. Her efforts evolved to have her students play in major venues and concert halls like Strathmore in Rockville, MD or even Black Rock Center for the Arts in Germantown, MD.
Her students are mainly elementary school to high school age. The opportunity for her students to perform in front of audiences at an early age is quite rewarding and propels them to continue their journeys.
Charlotte then started having her students sign up for Piano Guild exams. These Guild exams help the students learn how to perform piano repertoire from all eras of music history, as well as to assist in training for college entrance as music majors. Every year, her students would take an exam given by music educators from all over the United States.
Charlotte started talking to me about my recording studio, and what I (and my partners Don Snider and Nacio Chavez) did in Rolling Hills Recording Studio. She wanted her students to have the experience of recording in a real studio.
During this time, she started to find out about copyrights and what it takes to assemble a CD. She passed this experience on to her students by getting them involved with recording, assembling CDs, and in some cases, having her students get permission to record cover songs. They would have to contact and gain permission from the original artists or publishing companies that had the rights to the music they wanted to cover.
She started the Tacy Foundation, a non-profit that would eventually send out CDs of her students’ work to hospitals all over the world, to help kids heal through music.
Over the years my studio created over 50 CDs for the Tacy Foundation. She even gave awards and trophies to all of her students to inspire them to achieve greatness.
I've seen what an amazing job she has done over the years through my own son and all of the people she had helped. I’ve watched them grow into amazing musicians.
Charlotte has even extended this opportunity to other music educators for their students to have the same experience.
Charlotte is an amazing person, and I can't think of a better person to receive this award.
Again, please watch this video link below...
Charlotte I am so proud of you. Congratulations 🎊
https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/the-tacy-foundation-founder-aims-to-soothe-human-suffering-remarkable-women/
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Making a Difference through Music and Mentorship
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Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to volunteer with The Tacy Foundation as a Piano Pals Mentor at Brown Station Elementary School. This experience has allowed me to share my love for music while helping others grow and build confidence through learning.
As a Piano Pals mentor, I was matched with younger students whom I tutor weekly. Our sessions focus on helping them progress comfortably through their piano books. Each lesson involves reviewing past material, introducing new pieces, and practicing important techniques. At first, my students struggled with reading music and playing with both hands together, but over time, I saw a big improvement in their rhythm, coordination, and overall confidence at the piano.
One of the most meaningful parts of this experience was seeing my students’ excitement when they finally mastered a song they had been working on for weeks. Those small victories showed me the impact that encouragement, patience, and consistency can have on someone’s learning journey.
Volunteering with The Tacy Foundation has also helped me grow as a leader and communicator. Teaching young students required that I explain things clearly, be patient when they made mistakes, and adapt my approach to fit their needs. These skills will benefit me in the future, not only in music but in any team or leadership role.
Through this experience, I’ve learned that music is more than just notes on a page. It is a way to connect with others, support them, and positively impact their lives. I am grateful to The Tacy Foundation and Brown Station Elementary for allowing me to help others through something I truly enjoy.
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I am a person who values community service and uplifting others. The Tacy Foundation has offered me a wonderful and highly beneficial way to not only do the things I love but also to learn how to utilize my hobbies and creative interests in ways to help my community. I have learned many things through my activities with the Foundation and hope to continue to learn. The Tacy Foundation has not only provided realistic ways for someone my age to support my community but has also taught me how to utilize my skills in different ways. I’m forever grateful for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) award (for 100 hours of community service within one year; 50% must be earned from the sponsoring nonprofit). I hope to continue pursuing my goals through the Tacy Foundation.
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I'm sending you a brief reflection on receiving the PVSA award with my brother. My brother Logan and I have been volunteering at the Tacy Foundation since the early spring of 2024 -- over a year now and counting. During our journey through that time, we met many incredible players of a variety of instruments, and all our audiences have been truly endearing. We're very grateful for having the opportunity to meet them, and we're honored and lucky to receive the presidential award. Thank you, Mrs. Holliday, for everything you've done for us, the entire Foundation, and everyone we ever served with our music and met on this journey.
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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!
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