MusicAid February 2026 Newsletter
Inspiring Joy
February was short and sweet! MusicAid looks forward to things warming up in March!
Our Music Highlights
- Hosted 4 regular concerts in senior homes across Maryland and Virginia.
- Hosted a concert at Waterstone of Lexington, MA
- Performed for the Jewish Council of Aging
- Provided free piano accompaniment for MCPS students
2/01 Concert at Raphael House, MD
2/08 Concert at Waterstone of Lexington, MA
2/14 Concert at Victory Court, MD
2/18 Concert at Jewish Council for the Aging
2/21 Concert at Bartholomew House, MD
2/28 Concert at Raphael House, MD
Jewish Council for Aging Volunteer Meet & Greet
This month we had the pleasure of working with and performing for the Jewish Council for the Aging. On Wednesday, February 18th, a small group of MusicAid volunteers, ranging from young elementary schoolers to high schoolers, performed at the JCA for an organization wide volunteer meet and greet.
Our volunteers came to JCA right after school, with some even leaving school early to participate. They presented a special program lasting over 40 minutes, featuring a diverse repertoire ranging from classical works to light, uplifting pieces, with performances spanning solos, duets, and trios.
Our board members Pianist Ethan Pei and Cellist Aaron Hwang prepared Prayer from Jewish Life by Ernest Bloch, a meaningful Jewish piece chosen especially for the occasion. We were very happy to be able to participate in an afternoon of warmth and togetherness. One attendee said the music brought tears to her eyes. She was so moved.
Since performing, the JCA has been kind enough to write about us in their newsletter, where they describe our performance:
"The students’ performance brought warmth and vibrancy to the room, creating a beautiful atmosphere for volunteers from every JCA department to gather, reconnect, and celebrate their impact. It was especially meaningful to witness young people using their musical talents in service to older adults — a powerful reminder of how intergenerational connection strengthens our entire community."
We are incredibly grateful and thank the JCA for their kind words, as well as the opportunity to work with them. MusicAid completely agrees with the importance of intergenerational connection, which brings a sense of community and togetherness even across vastly different groups of people. Thank you JCA, we hope to continue to collaborate in the future. We hope to become even more involved with different organizations across the county. If any organizations are in need of music services, MusicAid is happy to be of assistance and will accomodate any needs!
MusicAid & MCPS
February 28th, MusicAid volunteers were honored to provide piano accompaniment for performers at the MCPS Instrumental Solo & Ensemble Adjudication. Our Pianist Ethan Pei and Alvin Xu were able to accompany performers in their competition. One of the performers we provided accompaniment for, Ethan Chen, earned a superior rating and has qualified for the state level! We congratulate him and wish him the best of luck in the next level!
But all of the wonderful performers we accompanied did amazing, and we are incredibly proud of everyone for their hard work at this adjudication. We hope to continue to be a part of their music journey past this competition!
MusicAid is extremely happy to be able to aid performers in need. We wanted to remind everyone that although much of our focus is performing at nursing homes, MusicAid also provides free piano accompaniment to ensure equitable opportunities for performers.
While MusicAid has become a multi-state organization with chapters in not only Maryland, but also Virginia, D.C., and even Massachusetts, Montgomery County remains the center of our work and impact. Our work in performing at various venues and providing accompaniment has allowed us to engage with a significant portion of students across MCPS. Our volunteers come from 18 out of 35 of MCPS high schools, as well as three Maryland private high schools; 25 out of 40 of MCPS middle schools, plus two private middle schools; and many MCPS elementary schools, with additionally two Maryland private elementary schools.
We are proud of how far we have come since May 2023 and happy to be able to build a sustainable culture of student-led service through performance and music. We are grateful for everyone that has helped us grow into the organization we are today, and we hope for your support as we continue to build and expand to contribute further to our community and our county. Thank you MCPS!
And we hope to continue this impact, not only in Maryland, but also in our other state chapters in Virginia and Massachusetts. This February marks another month where we were able to host a concert in Waterstone of Lexington, MA. And we hope to do even more!
February Concerts
February may have been short but it was full of amazing performances from our volunteers, who never fail to amaze us.
This month gave us many impressive showcases of vocal ability. Some of our highlights this month include a powerful performance of Make You Feel My Love, performed by Joy, and also a beautiful cover of Enchanted by Taylor Swift that our volunteer, Journey, sang and played the piano part for. Our volunteers never fail to remind us of their skill and talent.
We were also lucky to have many volunteers perform as duets this month, not because of Valentine's Day, but actually because the Maryland Piano ensemble Competition is coming very soon! Many of our volunteers chose to play their duet piece at our concert, and we are glad to have the first listen before they head up on to the big stage. More than five piano duets have recently stepped up to perform at our concerts. We hope they enjoyed sharing their piece with us, and wish them the best of luck in their upcoming competition!
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YouTube Picks of the Month
MusicAid is looking for Boston Board Members and Volunteers
Concert Schedule
*Please note that these dates and times may change due to holidays or other circumstances. The final schedule will be based on the registration form.
Upcoming Concerts
3/1 Sun 2:00pm-3:00pm, Raphael House Assisted Living, 1515 Dunster Rd Rockville, MD 20854
3/14 Sat 2:00pm-3:00pm, Victory Court, 209 Monroe Street, Rockville Maryland 20850
3/21 Sat 10:30am-11:30am, Bartholomew House, 6904 River Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20817
3/28 Sat 11:00am-12:00pm, Raphael House Assisted Living, 1515 Dunster Rd Rockville, MD 20854
4/5 Sun 2:00pm-3:00pm, Raphael House Assisted Living, 1515 Dunster Rd Rockville, MD 20854
4/11 Sat 2:00pm-3:00pm, Victory Court, 209 Monroe Street, Rockville Maryland 20850
4/18 Sat 10:30am-11:30am, Bartholomew House, 6904 River Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20817
4/25 Sat 11:00am-12:00pm, Raphael House Assisted Living, 1515 Dunster Rd Rockville, MD 20854
Additional Info!
Our YouTube channel now has 577 subscribers! Thank you so much to all who have subscribed! Our channel is linked here:
Additionally, we are finally active on our Instagram. Follow us at @musicaid.us or click here:
When Will I Receive My SSL Hours?
SSL hours earned from concerts during 2025 Summer (6/1/2025 - 8/31/2025) will be awarded by 9/1/2025 via email.
SSL hours earned from concerts during 2025-2026 Semester 1 (9/1/2025 - 12/31/2025) will be awarded by 1/1/2026 via email.
SSL hours earned from concerts during 2025-2026 Semester 2 (1/1/2026 - 5/26/2026) will be awarded by 5/27/2026 via email.
SSL hours earned from concerts during 2026 Summer (5/27/2026 - 8/31/2026) will be awarded by 9/1/2026 via email.
*For FCPS and Lexington High School Students, please submit your hours online following your school’s instructions.