All eyes were on Sophia Yao (11) as she played the clarinet for residents at the Carmel Mountain Rehab Center, Dec. 6. Becoming fully immersed in the music, Yao almost forgot to look up and see the smiling faces staring back at her from the crowd.
“The [audience] really liked the performance because it’s nearing the holiday season and we play a lot of holiday pieces,” Yao said. “It’s really fun to play, especially when you’re playing with friends. I really enjoy playing, especially with a group like Rhythmical Miracles.”
With the goal of spreading joy throughout the community and making sure students’ musical talents are appreciated, club president Yao and the other members of Rhythmical Miracles played music for a variety of audiences.
“We usually go to senior living centers, rehab centers, children’s hospitals, or any other cultural center,” Yao said. “Then we have people play individual pieces for the community, and it helps them feel happier. We’re trying to help people understand that [their] talents are not going to waste. We want to help people understand the beauty of music and then also spread it out into the community because music brings joy and is a really big part of society.”
The club is new to Westview, making its debut this school year. Presidents Yao and Evan Liu (11) brought the club to Westview, expanding the existing non-profit organization.
“[Rhythmical Miracles is] a part of a nonprofit that my other friend made at The Cambridge school, and then we decided to make a bridge to Westview,” Yao said.
The club consists of several musicians, each playing one or more instruments, but Yao said the club is always looking for more members.
“Some [members] play more common instruments like piano, but we have a lot of different ones, as well,” she said “We, of course, want everyone to [perform].”
Yao said that the variety of instruments within the club has made events even more exciting, as the crowd’s preferences are always different.
“It’s really fun to get to know the people at senior homes because you don’t know what they’re like,” Yao said. “You have to go see what they like, what they want [to listen to] as music. It’s interesting to know what music makes them happy.”
Senior living centers are Yao’s favorite location for Rhythmical Miracles events, as they give her a chance to make otherwise unlikely connections.
“All the senior living center [events] are very enjoyable to me,” Yao said. “I am able to communicate with the seniors living there more often because we don’t play and leave; we get to talk with them afterwards.”
Yao said that Rhythmical Miracles has provided her with several new friendships and connections, both within the club and with previous audience members.
“There are a lot of connections [formed] within our club, and between our club [members] and the seniors living at the centers or with the patients,” Yao said. “[The club] is a community, so you have to communicate to understand the order you’re going to perform in, and what pieces you’re going to do. So a lot of people make friends that way, too, and I feel like it helps them connect with each other. And then similarly with the people living inside the centers and the children, we get to talk with them after we play and see what they like, what they enjoy, and then we can be friends that way.”
