Robert Chacon
A group of little kids with big hearts spent part of their day Friday
playing music for residents of one local retirement home.
Ten music students from Dunsmore Elementary School played
classical minuets from Bach, Dvorak, Chopin and Boccherini for about
30 senior citizens at the Mountview Retirement Home. Before they took
the stage, they handed out Valentine's Day cards for the residents.
Among the students, there were piano, violin, clarinet, cello and
trumpet players. Some students played solo, others were accompanied
on the piano by their teacher Karen Hayhurst.
Sixth-grader David Oh played such a stirring rendition of a minuet
by Bach, that he received the loudest applause of the performance.
"It's so great that these kids are here," said Helen Hill, 82.
"When I was a kid, I would have never have thought of going to a
place like this. But they are great for showing us their talent."
This is the first time that Hayhurst's students have performed for
senior residents, she said, adding that when the idea was presented
to her class by the school's philanthropy chairman, several of her
students automatically volunteered.
"Some of the grandmothers here don't have a family to celebrate
Valentine's Day, and I thought they might be sad," said fourth-grade
clarinet player, Michelle Kim. "I wanted to cheer them up with one of
my songs."
For the students who performed, they saw the benefit of helping
others.
"I feel really good inside," Oh said. "I know that we should
respect older people, and that's why I volunteered to do this."
