by Hadley Snell
Check out the linked Instagram posts to listen to our performance!
When you tell someone that you’re going to a hospital for the day, you usually don’t receive an optimistic response. Hospitals are necessary, yes, but not a particularly desirable place to be, especially if you or a loved one is in need of medical attention. In the hustle and bustle of nurses, doctors, patients, and visitors, it’s easy to feel isolated in such a busy atmosphere. However, there is one thing that can help bring people together in a place like this: music.
On a warm, sunny day in early July, six members of Da Capo chose to meet up at Eskenazi Hospital in order to spread optimism and positivity through their music. The drive was 1-2 hours long for most of them, as members from both the Fort Wayne and West Lafayette branch were in attendance. Once they arrived at the hospital, they were able to start their program, which began with Tara Kim playing Widmung (Schumann & Liszt). Recalling her experience, Tara says that it “was really cool to see some people at the hospital stop and watch for a couple minutes”. This event was different from past Da Capo performances, as instead of having a specific audience, they provided background music for people passing by. Chloe Park, who played Abegg Variations Op. 1 (Schumann), also described the experience as particularly meaningful to her. “Some would take videos or just relax and watch us. It was like our music was a little break for everyone from all they had going on.”
In addition to providing an escape for people walking by, the trip also allowed members of the different branches to get to know each other. Zheng-Chi Lee, a member of the West Lafayette chapter, noted that it was super fun getting to know the other members better, along with the types of pieces they were working on. After the performance, most of the members went to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which was just a fifteen minute drive away from the hospital. There, they saw the LUME, which featured works by Van Gogh through an immersive display of digital art. They also explored the gardens and countless art exhibits within the museum. One of Josh Kim’s favorite memories from the trip was when Bill Fei started playing the piano in the museum, saying, “We could hear him in pretty much all the exhibits!”
After the museum, the group stopped at a restaurant called Mori Sushi before heading home. Although there were many members who weren’t available to make the trip down, it was a memorable experience nonetheless, and Da Capo is already looking forward to the next time the branches can meet up for another performance outing. Whether it be music, art, or simply a change of landscape, this opportunity brought people from all stages of life together and allowed Da Capo to fulfill some of its key goals: spread the love of piano into the community, and bring light into the lives of others.
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