11/03/2024 Senior Center Performance

Authored by: Elena Chen

With November here, autumn has officially settled in San Diego. The streets are covered in golden leaves, and the weather is getting cooler.

When we arrived at the senior center this time, we noticed the decorations were full of autumn vibes, with plastic leaves on the tables and the piano, adding a cozy touch.

Even though the air was a bit chilly, our excitement as volunteers was still sky-high. We gathered at the center on time, ready to bring music, joy, and warmth to the seniors.

It's hard to remember how many times we've visited, but the seniors have gotten so familiar with us, always greeting us with big smiles. We were all thrilled to see them again.

This time, we had a new performer, Benjamin, who played the classic tune "The Entertainer" on his violin. Many people in the audience recognized the piece and even nodded along to the rhythm. After his performance, several seniors came up to thank him for playing such a beloved song.

Another performance that got a lot of applause was Rien's piano rendition of "Rapid as Wildfires," a piece he found in the game Genshin Impact. He learned it by finding the sheet music online and memorized it. The audience loved it!

Chloe Li then took the stage and delivered a fantastic performance of Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata, keeping up her usual high standards.

Grace followed with a beautiful guzheng performance of the theme song from Journey to the West. Many seniors, even those who had seen a guzheng performance before, were completely captivated by this ancient Chinese instrument. I even saw some residents on the second floor recording her with their phones.

After the show, we switched to the game part. In addition to the performers, Marcus and a new volunteer, Alice, joined our team.

Ryan, who sang to kick off the performance, was there again too. Even though he's only ten, he was so enthusiastic and had a blast playing with the seniors. His voice was so clear and loud that when he called out the Bingo numbers, I’m sure even people outside could hear him!

While we played Bingo, we noticed a senior named Jackie working on a puzzle. She had already completed part of it, so we decided to help her out. Together, we finished most of the puzzle, and she was really grateful, promising to update us on her progress the next time we visit.

Another performance and service event came to an end, and for us, it really felt more like a gathering and celebration with the seniors. We all cherish these moments.

Performers: Ryan Wang, Benjamin Lane, Grace Ma, Chloe Li, Chloe Wong, Elena Chen, Rien Chen

Performance host:Chloe Li

Game Hosters: Ryan Wang, Alice Ouyang, Marcus Lee, Grace Ma, Chloe Li, Chloe Wong, Elena Chen, Rien Chen