ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. – If it’s true that music is good for the soul then Orange County School of the Arts high school juniors Hannah Noh and Sean Antongiorgi are just the ticket.

Playing from a distance they are rehearsing for their next gig. But it’s more than a concert or any solo, in fact they’re playing for an entire community of seniors isolated in homes due to the coronavirus. They call it Community In Concert.

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“Both Hannah and I, for a long time now, have been involved in performing and organizing senior recitals for retirement homes and through that we’ve just experienced a lot of the love,” says Sean.

While the rest of us stream Netflix and stay “safer at home,” these seniors have Hannah, Sean and talented high school musicians from around Southern California are now on demand.

“I enjoyed every bit of it. I sat from the minute it started to the minute it ended,” says a senior who watched one of their concerts.

“During this situation we realized that performers are needed and entertainment is needed more than ever in senior homes due to the increased isolation that senior citizens are feeling during this time. So we really wanted to find a way to bring the music to them without going there live,” Hannah says.

They have been performing in-person, at a handful of senior homes for the past two years, but they have pivoted to have these musicians submit their videos online. Through their fellowship with the Dragon Kim Foundation, which grants high school entrepreneurs funds and resources, Sean and Hannah are making music available to around a dozen senior homes across Southern California.

“This is really an opportunity to help those who are in a much more insecure, much scarier reality - who are more at risk to the coronavirus or can’t support themselves or what have you. There’s almost a responsibility to bring something to those people,” Sean says.

According to the Orange County Office on Aging, older adults ages 65+ account for 14.3 percent of the county’s population, and right now those in retirement homes or assisted living facilities are more isolated than ever. Hannah and Sean provide a source of comfort.

 

“Just seeing the smile on their faces and just seeing how much joy you can bring them through something seemingly small,” says Hannah.

Streaming their music and their hearts.

To find out more about about Community in Concert or to submit a video of your own visit the website here or contact Hannah and Sean at communityinconcert20@gmail.com or @community_in_concert on Instagram.