August 12, 2026, The Indigo at Elmhurst

Rather than going to the same Senior Living Space, we were invited to perform at Indigo in Elmhurst. Contrary to Sunrise, Indigo had an increased number of elderly people with dementia, which connected me back to my grandmother, who also had dementia. Because of the increase in elderly people with dementia, we decided against doing a trivia game and instead just played music. 

Something else I felt was interesting was how we sang Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music. Although at first, some seniors were very against the idea of using the instruments provided, eventually, most of them ended up joining. It reminded me that even if our age gaps were large, some trends and pieces of media don’t get lost by time. 

Overall, I had a fun time at Indigo, and I hope when we come back, it will be just as enjoyable.

-Hailey :D

July 23, 2026, Sunrise Senior Living In Naperville

Last time we went to Sunrise Senior Living, I wasn't able to perform. However, this time, I performed a piece of my own. I felt nice to be able to contribute by playing music. In addition to playing a piece solo, I was also given the opportunity to play a duet with Ian. I had a lot of fun putting together the parts and listening to them together. 

Apart from playing songs, we also did a game show where we used buzzers rather than using our ears to hear the participants. I’m very grateful for the chance to use these buzzers because I felt that the program ran way more smoothly than without them. 

Something that made me happy was the increase in the number of people attending our program. It was exciting to be able to see new faces and recognize old ones. 

-Hailey :D

June 17, 2026. Sunrise Senior Living In Naperville

Our student-led program, Hearts for Happiness, went to Sunrise Senior Living as the first place we volunteered at. On Wednesday, Jun 17, after working together for around a month to create a program that incorporated music with games and hands-on activities, we worked together to make the program a success. After the program, we were given the chance to reflect on how the day was and what we can do to improve in the future. 

Although there were many parts we could improve, one area I needed to improve was the introduction. From the perspective of someone who wasn’t performing that day, it felt like the same 2 people were the only ones who were really introducing the programs that were happening. Yes, I had no plans to go beforehand, but that doesn’t excuse me from doing more to assist those who were introducing and performing.

Overall, I had an enjoyable experience even though it was slightly stressful. I feel like I learned a lot from this experience, and we can definitely improve in the future.

-Hailey :D