 As 2024 comes to a close, Music and Love Inc. is thrilled to share how your support has made a meaningful impact in our community. This year, we proudly donated $1,063 to our partner, the Children’s Inn at NIH, which serves as a haven for children with rare diseases and their families. These funds will support essential programs that provide comfort and care to those in need. We are also proud to have supported one of our musicians, Chloe Robertson, by contributing $100 toward the purchase of her bassoon through her GoFundMe campaign. Chloe's dedication to her music aligns with our mission to empower young musicians and spread the joy of music. Additionally, a friend of ours, Eric, covered the piano tuning fee $120 at Raphael House for our young musicians, as we perform regularly for the residents there. We couldn’t have achieved these milestones without the generosity of our donors, the passion of our musicians, and the support of our community. Together, we are making a difference through music and love. Thank you for being part of our journey in 2024. We look forward to creating more music, joy, and impact in the coming year. (Reported by Allie Rui)
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Today was an extraordinary and memorable day for me, as I had the incredible opportunity to travel to China and celebrate the 19th International Human Solidarity Day. As a co-organizer of this meaningful event, I collaborated closely with JDV Global Education (Australia) and the XingYu Special Needs School (China) to bring everything together. This was my first time meeting the talented young musicians from the special needs school in person, and I was utterly amazed by their abilities. They showcased their remarkable skills through enchanting performances of Chinese classical dances, captivating martial arts, and lively pop songs that resonated with the audience. I had the honor of performing ‘Concerto in A Minor’ by Accolay on my violin. The experience was awesome; it was the best concert I’ve ever attended. At the end of the event, a reporter from Liaoning Radio and Television Station approached me for an interview about our event. I was so grateful for the chance to share the joy of music and the warmth of love and togetherness with everyone there. It was a day that truly touched my heart and left me feeling uplifted! (Reported by Allie Rui)
On a cloudy, chilly day in mid-December, the Music and Love performers brought holiday cheers to the Raphael House with their final performance of the year. The concert began with Alex Jiang's soulful violin rendition of "Blue Bells of Scotland." Candice Xu followed with lively piano performances of "Circus March" and "Little Brown Jug," already inspiring enthusiastic applause from the senior audience. The highlight came when Matthew Wong's clarinet performance of "Tramp" had the seniors joyfully singing along! Despite a shortage of performers, Vince and Lexi stepped up with additional pieces, ensuring a memorable performance. As the concert concluded, the talented musicians left the Raphael House filled with joy and holiday spirit. (Reported by Benjamin Peng)
Today was the last Music and Love performance of this year. Brightview’s interior was intricately decorated with wreaths, lights, and holiday signs. We wished them an early Christmas by playing cheerful songs. The instruments played today were guitar, oboe, viola, and piano, a diverse collection of ensembles. There were many Sonatas as well as a few classical pieces. Grace and Sakura played wonderful jolly pieces with great technique, while Lexi played a graceful romantic song on the oboe. Our performance ended with an orchestral pop music by Hans Zimmer. Overall, with 8 talented musicians, our concert was successful. This year’s Virginia Music and Love journey concluded on a high note, reminding us of the power of music to bring people together. (Reported by Angelina Lin)
Isabella the cat has certainly been busy recently, transforming Raphael House into a winter wonderland in less than two weeks. Garlands and wreaths outlined the front of the senior center and many candy canes were also set up there, too. It was a relatively small concert today but we managed to get the most out of it. The flowing notes of the piano gave the seniors a nice break from their daily routines and also gave them time to soak up the Christmas cheer that is starting to build up as we near Christmas. Grace started us off with three calm pieces, Lia brought the marching of nutcrackers into the room, with March of the Wooden Soldiers, Skye played two classic pieces, which he somehow synchronized to the flashing of the Christmas lights on the curtain, Luna bought back River Flows in You, which reminds us of our old CFO who has sadly left the program, Selena played a few dramatic pieces that felt like the hearts of young children waiting to get their presents, and Nathan played his piece August, which somehow fits right in due to it feeling like falling snow. At Music and Love, we put quality over quantity and today is a perfect example of that. (Reported by Aric Deng)
Music and Love collaborated with the Northeastern University Volunteer Service Team in China to celebrate International Volunteer Day, creating an unforgettable experience! The concert featured performances by students from various special needs schools, showcasing their incredible talents on stage like true professionals. The atmosphere in the room was exciting as the children captivated the audience with traditional Chinese dances and beautiful songs. One of the most memorable moments was the astonishing face-changing of the Sichuan Opera by Meichen Li, a talented girl with special needs who has won numerous awards in competitions. Her performance was amazing; she transformed her appearance multiple times, leaving everyone in awe and prompting a standing applause from the crowd. Although we couldn't attend in person, we wanted these talented kids to know we were cheering them on. We compiled video clips of our favorite performances and wrote heartfelt messages to surprise them. This experience motivated us to recognize that there is so much more we can do to help bring joy to the world! (Reported by Allie Rui)
Thanksgiving has just passed and while all of the lovely seniors at Byron House are happy with the holiday season, what excites them even more is the fact that Music and Love is coming to perform. As one of our biggest performances yet, Music and Love brought the wonderful sound of five instruments and the thoughtful hearts of our members and I can say that we did amazing at comforting and entertaining the seniors. Carl’s Massenet Meditation eased many who miss their families, Steven Gong’s Tarentalle bought the sound of galloping reindeer getting ready to help Santa send his gifts to the world, Selena’s Fantasie whisked the seniors away to a walk in the enchanted ice caps under the Aurora Borealis, and the cheerful duo of Ryan and Nathan topped things off by playing two amazing piano pieces and they even took entertaining the seniors to the next level by singing the Alphabet Song, which surprised everyone. Christmas is fast approaching, and with our delightful music and cheerfulness, the seniors are already on track to having the best Christmas ever. (Reported by Aric Deng)
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