MusicAid September Newsletter
Inspiring Joy
Hope everyone has had a smooth first month of school! As September ends we begin to prepare for spooky season this year!
Our Music Highlights
- Hosted 4 concerts in senior homes across Maryland and Virginia.
9/7 Concert at Raphael House, MD
9/13 Concert at Victory Court, MD
9/20 Concert at Bartholomew House, MD
9/27 Concert at Raphael House, MD
Our Volunteers
We hosted our regular concerts this month. On September 7th, many of our volunteers had scheduling conflicts due to the MCYO kickoff event on the same day. As a result, the volunteers who were able to attend our concert kindly stepped in and performed twice.We are very grateful for their dedication and hard work.
Thanks to our amazing volunteers, we were able to carry out the concert successfully despite the shortage. Thank you!
While string and piano performances have always been in abundance, and for good reason, we have noticed that vocal performances have become very commonplace at our concerts. While one year ago, singers at our concerts were very rare, now it isn't uncommon to have three or more vocalists at one concert.
A performer we would like to highlight this month is 7th grader Faratimi, who sang All of Me by John Legend. Many seniors joined in singing with him, and the performance brought back warm memories of their younger days.
As we see more variety in our concerts, this is a welcome change and we encourage any musician or performer, no matter the instrument, to step up onto the stage and give it their all. Thank you to our volunteers; you make all of this possible.
September 13th Concert
While we had many wonderful string performances this month, a unique string instrument made its first appearance at Victoria Court — the guzheng. The guzheng is a traditional Chinese plucked zither, one of the most well-known instruments in Chinese music, and often featured in pop culture across China.
Our concert featured 8th grader Joanna Liu, who gave a beautiful performance of Ripples in the Silver River by Fan Sheng. Many of the seniors were intrigued by the instrument, making this debut especially memorable.
If you’d like to experience her performance and learn more about the guzheng, please visit our YouTube channel.
Another talented performer we’d like to highlight this month is 7th grader Olivia Liu, a flautist. At our September 13th concert at Victoria Court, she gave a charming performance of A Town With an Ocean View by Joe Hisaishi. This iconic piece is a highlight of the soundtrack from Kiki's Delivery Service, a beloved Studio Ghibli film still cherished by fans today.
While we love our classical, baroque, and romantic repertoire, it’s always refreshing to see our performers explore more contemporary music beyond pop. Ghibli music, with its lyrical and ear-pleasing qualities, is a genre we would be delighted to hear more of in future concerts!
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
9/7 Sun 2:00pm-3:00pm, Raphael House Assisted Living, 1515 Dunster Rd Rockville, MD 20854
9/13 Sat 2:00pm-3:00pm, Victory Court, 209 Monroe Street, Rockville Maryland 20850
9/20 Sat 10:30am-11:30am, Bartholomew House, 6904 River Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20817
9/27 Sat 11:00am-12:00pm, Raphael House Assisted Living, 1515 Dunster Rd Rockville, MD 20854
10/5 Sun 2:00pm-3:00pm, Raphael House Assisted Living, 1515 Dunster Rd Rockville, MD 20854
10/11 Sat 2:00pm-3:00pm, Victory Court, 209 Monroe Street, Rockville Maryland 20850
10/18 Sat 10:30am-11:30am, Bartholomew House, 6904 River Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20817
10/25 Sat 11:00am-12:00pm, Raphael House Assisted Living, 1515 Dunster Rd Rockville, MD 20854
Additional Info!
Our YouTube channel now has 442 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.