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On Saturday, Jan. 18 at 11:00 a.m., the sound of old tunes and modern hits filled the dining hall at Waltonwood Senior Living in Ashburn. Waltonwood residents eagerly gathered around the piano, ready for a walk down memory lane with throwback songs from their youth sung by Rock Ridge Sings students and high school members of the Tacy Foundation.
The Tacy Foundation is a non-profit that aims to spread hope through music at senior living homes, hospitals, and army camps. The organization sponsors concerts at Waltonwood every month in order to brighten up the lives of senior citizens through music.
The event started with junior Akira Dasgupta from Riverside High School, who coordinated the event as an intern for The Tacy Foundation, introducing the performers and their pieces. One by one, the students took to the microphone and piano to perform their rehearsed songs. With throwback tunes like “The Impossible Dream” by Joe Darion and Mitch Leigh and modern hits such as “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars and “Wondering” by Olivia Rodrigo and Julia Lester, the song palette portrayed themes of heartbreak, melancholy, possibility and regret.
Choir director Jordan Markwood accompanied the students at the event and closed the concert with the song “The Impossible Dream,” which received enthusiastic applause from the audience, especially senior resident Vernon Dame. “I recognize some of [the songs],” Dame said. “I actually sang along with the last song ‘The Impossible Dream.’ That’s pretty hard to miss. I’m very happy that [the students]come and sing for us and I think it’s a tremendous value for the students that are doing that.”
While singing at Waltonwood for the Tacy Foundation is primarily an opportunity for students to earn volunteer hours, it, more importantly, serves as a meaningful way to spend a Saturday morning by bridging the gap between older and younger generations.
Junior Yash Sahoo spearheads recruitment efforts of RRSings members in order to increase the number of performers at these concerts. “At Waltonwood, it’s always a really fun experience,” junior Yash Sahoo said. “I like singing old songs or even songs that I like today, to see how the people that live here react to it. I like seeing the smiles on their faces.”
Subhasish Dasgupta is a parent coordinator for the Tacy Foundation and has supervised the concerts for several years. “The joy that gets brought to these events is amazing,” Dasgupta said. “A lot of the seniors either love music or music has been a part of their lives. This is a chance to see some young people and hear fresh voices. We’re making a small difference”
With their small effort, RRSings and the Tacy Foundation have made a big difference in the lives of Waltonwood senior residents through music.
