Teen ensemble brings music to seniors

If 16-year-old Steven X. Shi is representative of his generation, the future of our society is in good hands. The sophomore at Naperville North High School is founder of and pianist for the classical musical ensemble Harmony.

"Harmony is a musical term and it also represents our goal, which is to bring people together and make them happier through music," he said.

Shi and his fellow high school students perform monthly for the residents of The Springs at Monarch Landing in Naperville. The Springs provides assisted-living memory support, rehabilitation and skilled nursing.

Shi said he got the idea to launch Harmony from his grandparents.

"They live in China so the only way they can hear me play music is through Skype calls. Sometimes, their friends would be at home too, and they all told me that they loved it," he said. "Their appreciation is what led me to believe that seniors would love the music that children play."

Steven said it was easy to recruit other musicians to join Harmony.

"We were all interested in giving back to the community and we thought this would be great because of our love for music," he said.

Harmony includes two freshmen, seven sophomores and a senior. Most, but not all, of the students are in the school's orchestra or band programs.

"We are delighted to have Harmony perform for us for so many reasons," said Kylie Edmonds, life enrichment assistant at The Springs. "The residents love music, and the intergenerational aspect of the performances is wonderful. Music and young people is just a perfect combination."

Shi described what motivates him:

"I think the most defining aspect about me is that other people's happiness is what makes me happy. That's the main reason behind pretty much everything that I do," he said. "After our performance today, a senior walked up to me with tears in her eyes and simply said, 'I love you.' The amount of gratitude and joy that I could see on her face was so humbling. Those moments are what I live for."