On April 20, a group of musicians traveled to Benchmark Senior Living at Robbins Brook to perform music for the residents. This was the first performance for the members of the Concord Academy Notes of Compassion (CANOC) and they had an incredible time performing and bonding with the elderly.
CANOC was created with the intention of spreading joy with music. As a team of musicians, they love nothing more than to perform and bring their passion to others. When asking Valika Trivisvavet ’24 about her thoughts on performing music, she replied, “Performing art is like a space for me to relax. Sometimes I get too lazy to go to jazz or individualized music lessons, but every time I go I end up enjoying it so much.” Bringing color into these people’s lives makes a significant impact on their happiness and, in return, the musicians’.
Most people viewed CANOC’s first performance as a great success. But when asked about what the group could have done better, Valika remarked, “I wish we played some pieces that are more mainstream and well known for the audience to enjoy and sing along. For example, ‘In the Mood,’ ‘All of Me,’ and ‘Misty.’” Connecting with an audience is extremely important, and CANOC found that recognizable songs were received incredibly well. Along with this, the band hopes to have more rehearsals together before a performance, so that the concerts would be more organized.
The energy surrounding the performance was ecstatic. Holden Hanenberger ’25 said, “The audience’s reactions during and after our performance were truly magical. The amount of gleaming smiles I saw and the singing from the crowd I heard created a wonderful atmosphere for our music. I look forward to spreading even more compassion in future performances.” It seemed that the audience deeply enjoyed our love of music. In fact, multiple residents offered some life advice. One resident came and said, “Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t do something. Keep playing your horn and don’t let anyone belittle you.”
The first performance at CANOC was a success, and Robbins Brook was delighted to hear that the group would return to play in the future. Spreading love throughout our communities is incredibly important: love given finds a way to come back to the giver.