DPHS orchestra students bond with Brookdale residents

When Dr. Phillips High School student cellist Maya Lis shared with her orchestra director her desire to hold a recital series at a local assisted-living facility two years ago, Raine Hollingsworth loved the idea. She even let Lis organize and carry out the project each month at Brookdale Dr. Phillips Assisted Living, recruiting students to perform and in what order.

The project continues today and has grown to include band, chorus and piano students. It has been a rewarding partnership, Hollingsworth said, and benefits all parties.

“Freshmen and sophomores are really nervous; they don’t want to play in front of people,” she said. “I said, ‘Look, you don’t have to play the hardest thing you know. Play what you know, what’s fun, play Disney songs, play pop songs. It’s not what you’re playing that makes it so special. It’s that you’re playing.’”

Hollingsworth is enthusiastic about the positive relationship her students and the program have built — encouraging student leadership and independence and bringing the joy of music and community fellowship to the Brookdale residents.

“They pull up their chairs right after dinner time,” Hollingsworth said. “It’s so nice for them to see young people who are not their relatives and are not there because they have to be there.”

The students are getting to practice and hone their skills, as well as learn how to perform for an audience, and it counts toward their required community service hours.

“This allows them to do something they already love to do, they know how to do, and it’s not super time intensive for them,” Hollingsworth said. “And it also allows them the added benefit of practicing in a performance setting.”

The project has given the orchestra students a chance to get to know each other better and to build strong friendships through their shared passion. They have formed duets and small ensembles, have rehearsed together and have had the chance to play together in more than just a classroom or auditorium stage setting.

This is the second year of performing at the facility for senior violinist Tyler Scarborough.

“I’ve played in basically every Brookdale recital for the past few years and am so grateful for everyone that has come to play with us,” Scarborough said. “Seeing the program blossom from certain recitals with myself leading a rag-tag handful of people in as many time-allotted duets as I can scramble together to a thriving platform for performers of all experience levels has really warmed my heart. It's a great way both for young performers to gain experience and stage confidence and our audience members — some of the most vulnerable members of our community — to feel embraced and soothed and cared for by the greater younger generation and the power of music.”

Scarborough has led several new orchestra students through the Brookdale performance process.

“Through Brookdale, I've connected with members all across our four ensembles passionate about creating positive change through music,” Scarborough said. “It means a lot to take players new to Brookdale under my wing, assuring them that they are in the anxious shoes we have all been in and that they will be loved and celebrated by our audience and musician community no matter what.

“Even outside of orchestra, some of my favorite moments have sprung from our sing-alongs, where the crowd joins in with a multitalented student guitarist or pianist in enduring anthems that unite us all in wholesome, spontaneous fun,” Scarborough said. “Chatting with audience members about their personal pasts with (music) or family in music, as well as joking around onstage when introducing our pieces to have some fun with our time slots, have brought all of us at Brookdale, both as performers and audience, together in ways that only the magic of live music can do.”

Junior viola player Aaliyah Robinson said she loves being greeted with a smile.

“The residents are the best part about playing at Brookdale, because after every performance they give you the most genuine smile and compliment your performance —even if you feel you messed up too many times,” Robinson said. “Once I played ‘Silent Night’ around Christmastime, and they melted my heart by singing and humming the lyrics.”

Hayyan Zubairi, a junior violinist, just started going to Brookdale and loves to perform there.

“It’s such a sweet, wholesome environment,” Zubairi said. “I enjoyed playing for the seniors and look forward to doing it next year! The thing I enjoy most about Brookdale is getting to play music with a bunch of my friends outside of school. It’s not a required activity, which makes it more enjoyable. Plus, it’s a great way to bond with friends and to even make new connections.”

Katherine Xu, a freshman violinist, said the Brookdale residents are a great audience.

“It was nice seeing them smile after every performance,” she said. “Brookdale was a good opportunity to showcase the music I’ve been working on. Also, it’s a great way to see how well you perform in front of a crowd.”

Another violinist, junior Sarah Belachew has enjoyed the recitals too.

“My experience at Brookdale was amazing because of the very interested crowd watching us (and) cheering us on,” she said. “They were very joyed to see us. I enjoyed how there were different age groups and types of performances there.”

The Dr. Phillips High School orchestra program was started by band director Mike Parks in 1990 as part of the Visual and Performing Arts Magnet. Hollingsworth took over the program in 2011.

It has grown from three small ensembles to four large ensembles of 40 students each. Hollingsworth said the program is looking to grow to about 175 students.

“It’s been a joy, a labor of love, but a joy,” she said. “It’s been hard work, but it’s been really rewarding.”