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Today, we brought Music & Love to The Preston of Rockville with full hearts. Although it was rainy and cloudy outside, the room was filled with warmth and love. Each musician introduced their piece before performing, which helped the audience better understand and appreciate the music. Allie began the concert with a confident introduction of her violin piece. The music was beautiful, joyful, and fast-paced — just like someone running happily. Next, Grace gave a detailed introduction to her piano piece and played smoothly with a bright, cheerful tone. Candice and Caitlyn then introduced their duet, “Birch Tree Rag.” They explained that the piece is joyful with a touch of playfulness: the left-hand part keeps a steady rhythm while the right-hand part jumps quickly with lively energy. Their performance brought smiles to the audience. A highlight moment was Joanna’s introduction. She introduced herself and her piece with a bright smile and a loud, confident voice, which was very impressive. Esther and Faith performed a lovely violin duet, giving a warm introduction that helped the audience connect with their music. The audience truly enjoyed the performances. Having each musician introduce their piece beforehand gave everyone a clearer background and made the experience more meaningful. Rishita delivered a wonderful closing speech to the audience, bringing the event to a perfect ending. We had a truly wonderful time at The Preston of Rockville, sharing music and love together. (Reported by Candice Xu)
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Today we had the opportunity to perform at a Chinese nursery to celebrate Chinese New Year! There was a big crowd, and the atmosphere was so lively and exciting. Everyone did an amazing job performing, and all our hard work really paid off. The audience was incredibly supportive and kind, which made the experience even more special for us. You could tell they truly enjoyed our playing, and it felt great to share our music with them on such a meaningful holiday. It was definitely a memorable performance for all of us! (Reported by Esther Tian)
We had our Chinese New Year concert today at Diamond ES, and it was such a fun and memorable night! Our Music and Love group hosted a showcase table to introduce our group to other young students at the event. We prepared creative activities like decorating lanterns, making slime, and crafting clay pictures to celebrate the 2026 New Year and the Year of the Horse. Our table attracted lots of kids, and it was wonderful to see everyone so engaged and excited. There was also a wide variety of delicious food, including pizza, cotton candy, sesame balls, fried dumplings, cold noodles, bubble tea, and more. It truly felt like a festive celebration! The performances were amazing as well. The evening began with a traditional Chinese dance. The performers wore elegant green silky dresses with long water sleeves flowing down to their shins. Their movements were smooth and graceful, as if they were dancing on water. Next was a traditional Chinese instrumental performance featuring the pipa. The performer did an excellent job—her playing was both beautiful and skillful, and the music was captivating. Allie, Faith, Vera, Victoria, and I also performed together as an ensemble, playing Sinfonia No. 2 in G Major by Antonio Vivaldi. This is one of our orchestra pieces, and since we had rehearsed it many times, we felt confident going on stage. I believe we did a great job, and we were rewarded with a big round of applause from the audience. The final performance was a K-pop dance. It was incredibly fun to watch! The dancers demonstrated high-level technical skills and sharp synchronization. They were also dressed uniformly, which made their performance even more impressive. We all had a wonderful time celebrating Chinese New Year together, and we wish everyone a prosperous and successful 2026! (Reported by Jacqueline Chung)
The Music and Love Concert today took place at the Raphael House. Gabriel and I were a little nervous because the first performance was our piano duet, Danz Havana. We had practiced this piece for a month, but we were still worried we might make a mistake since playing a duet requires close coordination with your partner. Luckily, we did not make any mistakes this time. After our duet, we enjoyed several beautiful violin pieces performed by Elaine, Riddhima, and Rishita, as well as some passionate piano pieces played by Frankie, Jeremy, Jacob, and Ayan. It started drizzling outside, but inside it felt warm and sweet, filled with lovely music. Momo’s violin performance of Violin Concerto No. 1 by Niccolò Paganini was very long, but we were all completely immersed in her fabulous playing. The music sometimes flowed fast like a river, and sometimes it became calm and deep, touching our spirits. We also heard two more duets. One was a violin duet by Esther and Faith, and the other was a piano duet by Allie and Sophia. We could truly feel the coordination between the partners. Both performances were fantastic! My favorite piece was the Bassoon Concerto performed by Chloe on the bassoon. I had never heard a bassoon performance before. It produces a warm, woody, and sometimes slightly buzzy sound that deeply attracted me. The concert was very successful today. Sadly, we didn’t see the living center’s cat, Isabella. We’ll try to find her next time! (Reported by Grace Zhou)
 My experience at the Manor House today was extremely friendly. I have had many great times playing with my brother at the manorhouse over the previous sessions. For example, meeting all the seniors and discussing life with them has been one of the many reasons for wanting to go play here. Another reason is just playing the piano itself. Playing for the elderly is extremely relaxing and easy. This is why I enjoy playing for them specifically. (Reported by Stephen Chen)
Today’s Music and Love performance coincided with Valentine’s Day, and as a result, our musicians handed out different colored roses to the seniors, who were vocally grateful for this act of kindness. The concert began with pieces like Prelude, some parts building suspense, some parts light and airy. A few other songs consisted of two voices, swapping roles and decorating the piece with a multitude of grace notes. Then came more low, legato, and graceful songs, rich and melodious. The audience appreciated this change by nodding their heads happily and clapping louder. The highlight of this concert were two pieces by the saxophone, causing great reactions from the seniors. The seniors gasped in recognition, closed their eyes, and sang along. The pieces that followed weaved in bold accents, while also keeping the delicate, emotionally touching feel. One might describe them as “romantic” because of the dreamy, nostalgic atmosphere. Next came a violin piece that sounded like the season of spring, brightly uplifting, but also adding in twists and turns to the melody. Afterwards, the piano piece was light and fluffy, slow and thoughtful. Then, came a stark contrast from the previous song, a unique jazzy beat. The audience made hand gestures along with the music. Concluding this concert was a fast, technical piece that was well-played and thoughtful. Overall, this performance reflected the spirit of community service, as the Valentine’s roses created genuine moments of connection and gratitude between the musicians and the seniors. (Reported by Angelina Lin)
Today, Music and Love’s performers visited Cogir Senior Center. It was a freezing day, but everyone was still excited to perform. Natalie Chen played the flute and piano very well, and Samuel’s piano performance was beautiful and touched the audience. Allie and Samuel played the duet Prelude and Allegro, and the audience gave them big applause. We are thankful to the audience and the senior center for their support, and a big thank you to all the performers and parents for making this event special. (Reported by Faith Tian)
On Sunday afternoon, February 8, 2026, we had a Music and Love Concert at Raphael House. The concert started at 2:00 PM, and it was very fun and exciting. Many students played the piano, and one student danced ballet. We heard lots of beautiful music, like Chopin Nocturne, Fur Elise, Scarborough Fair, and even a happy song called Happy Farmer. Some songs were calm and soft, and some were fast and exciting. The ballet dance was very graceful, and the dancer moved beautifully with the music. All the musicians were brave and played on stage in front of the audience. At the end of the concert, each musician received a Lunar New Year gift. It was a special way to celebrate music, love, and the Lunar New Year together. It was a wonderful concert, and we hope to see everyone soon! (Reported by Timmy Li)
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