The legato notes of Frédéric François Chopin’s Fantasie-Impromptu filled the Villa Lorena senior center, March 22. Jayden Lin (10) sat on the grand piano bench as his hands danced  delicately across the black and white keys. Smiles stretched across dozens of senior residents’ faces as they enjoyed the afternoon performance.

As Sea Breeze Melody’s Charitable Foundation vice president, Lin organizes hour-long concerts with other members at senior centers twice a month. 

Lin said the performances have increased his love and broadened his view of music. 

“I’ve grown to love performing and playing for all the seniors,” Lin said. “I think because of these performances I’ve been able to experience more with music and performing. My piano teacher always says that piano can heal people, and playing for the seniors has let me see that.”

Lin said during and after performances, he can see positive reactions from the residents which encourages him to keep playing.

“It’s rewarding to see the seniors clapping and humming along with some of the songs,” Lin said. “Some seniors have come up to praise us [the performers] for playing well and brightening their day. It’s nice to know that all of my practicing and planning has brought them enjoyment. Knowing they like watching the performances makes me eager to organize more concerts.”

Senior resident Kathy Cazin said she always tries her best to attend when there are concerts. 

“I really like the different songs and their different tempos,” Cazin said. “[The concerts] are a nice break in the middle of the day. I get to just sit out here in the lobby and relax with my friends.”

From coordinating and attending concerts, Lin said he has learned a lot more than just music. 

“There are a lot of younger performers so I have to contact their parents,” Lin said. “From this I’ve gotten better at communicating with other people in a professional manner like sending emails and making calls. I’ve learned to be patient with the parents and other members while also making sure everything gets done.”

Lin said that his love for piano has grown a lot since he first started playing.

“At first I started playing piano only because my mom made me,” Lin said. “Practicing an hour everyday used to be really hard, but when our club started organizing performances I started to really enjoy piano. Now, I  even look forward to taking a break from school and practicing at home.” 

According to Lin, he was skeptical at first about taking the responsibility of being vice president of the club. 

“I wasn’t as interested in taking on any executive roles at first,” Lin said. “As I got more involved with the club I felt a stronger desire to contribute to the organization. I took over an executive position and now have the opportunity to organize every concert. I couldn’t be more happy with the decision I made.”

Lin said he takes a lot of pride in his piano playing, he always makes sure he performs to the best of his capabilities.

“Personally for me I like to push myself with hard songs, and to be satisfied [with my performance] I need to make the whole piece perfect,” Lin said. “I’m confident in my playing so I know I can nail every song but I need consistent practice to do it. It motivates me to practice everyday knowing that my playing and performing will be heard and enjoyed by others.”

Lin said his goal in playing piano is to create a memorable performance for the seniors and other audience members.

“I want the listeners to remember a great performance that brought more enjoyment to their day,” Lin said. “Music has been life changing for me and brought me so much joy and I want others to be able to also experience it as well.”

Lin said he hopes that in the future he can spread music to many different senior homes in San Diego. 

“Currently we perform at two senior centers on a bi-weekly basis, but I’ve been contacting more residencies and booking times,” Lin said. “Our club’s goal is to help everyone find enjoyment in music.”

Lin said that the most rewarding part of performing is witnessing the reactions of the audience. 

“I enjoy seeing the happy faces of the listeners,” Lin said. “I love playing piano knowing that the music I’m creating and playing is making people happy. I love that I can bring a little something special to the seniors’ day.”