By Michelle Lim, Staff Writer
Kianana Le and Tiffany Cai perform “Colors of the Wind” from
Pocahontas, virtually, on Oct. 7 for the Santa Anita Convalescent Home.
The resonant sound of the violin fills the Mission Care Center in Rosemead as sophomore Kianna Le produces the melodies of “Fly me To The Moon” by Frank Sinatra. Le and sophomore Carin Dang join through Zoom and sync their notes to entertain the group of delighted seniors citizens, humming lyrics and swaying softly to the melody on the other side of the screen.
“Because of the pandemic, I was home more often with my grandparents, so it was entertaining for them to listen to me practice,” Le said. “I knew that many elderly residents were less fortunate than my grandparents and couldn’t visit their families, so we want to spread joy through music and give them something to look forward to.”
Looking to spread joy with their passion for music, Le and Dang started Zoom Tunes, a group dedicated to performing for the elderly population, as the pandemic heavily affected nursing homes. They contacted local nursing homes to offer virtual performances through Zoom.
“I feel such a bright joy and spark when we play for them, and I feel so touched to see how music can affect them,” Dang said. “It’s an amazing experience because I can just take my mind off of school and then I come back to doing the homework with a smile on my face because I think about the seniors I helped
Their group consists of musicians from orchestra, members from band and other musicians who perform in pairs. Calls usually occur Mondays through Fridays at 2-4 p.m. every week, with occasional weekend performances as well. Their music selection mostly consists of popular songs from the 40s and 50s from artists such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, as well as traditional Chinese music
“I use my musical skills to help bring joy to these individuals that were being so isolated at the time,” Dang said. “Some of them cry, sing and have a bright beaming smile which makes it so emotionally rewarding.”
Zoom Tunes is currently performing at the following locations: Mission Care Center in Rosemead, Santa Anita Convalescent Home, La Palma Nursing Center, Broadway Manor Care Center, Monte Vista Grove Homes, Alden Terrace Convalescent and Monterey Park Convalescent Hospital.
They are also currently in the process of contacting many more nursing homes around Southern California, and looks to broaden their range to NorCal and different states since Zoom allows flexible communication
“We are also working to expand our group,” Le said. “That’s because we’ve come to understand that giving music to the elderly residents can be so emotionally rewarding and even stress-relieving at times.”