Community Corner
Thomas Jefferson School Senior Gives 'Smiles With Music'
Maheetha Bharadwaj brings comfort to local residents with musical gifts.
Thomas Jefferson School senior, professional keyboard artist and pianist for nearly 11 years Maheetha Bharadwaj wants to use her musical talents to bring smiles to those who need it most in the community.
One day a young girl overheard Bharadwaj playing Taylor Swift’s “Fifteen” on the piano at a local hospital and expressed her appreciation of the music with a big smile. The girl’s mother later told Bharadwaj that her daughter was being treated for cancer and had not smiled in weeks before hearing her music.
Bharadwaj realized the comforting effects that music can bring to people in need and wanted to do more. She began volunteering at Sunrise Assisted Living facilities by providing musical therapy sessions to seniors with memory impairments.
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She called her newfound mission “Smiles with Music” and started recruiting middle and high school students to share their gifts of music with residents in local nursing homes and assisted living communities.
“I love watching others enjoy my music with big smiles on their faces,” said Bharadwaj. “This endeavor has shaped me into a person on a mission to inform and educate our society of the significant ways music can improve people’s lives.”
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As the founder and volunteer coordinator of “Smiles With Music,” Bharadwaj is happy to partner with Amheart Hospice, a palliative and supportive program providing care to patients in the last phases of a terminal illness.
“Smiles With Music” has four sibling volunteers willing to play violin for hospice care patients and residents in local nursing homes. They are scheduled to begin orientation at the end of this month.
Bharadwaj also has three fellow Thomas Jefferson School classmates volunteering as part of the school’s independent chapter of “Smiles With Music.” They will be completing orientation very soon and start sharing their musical talents with residents of Bethesda Dilworth and several other area facilities.
One of Bharadwaj’s fondest volunteering memories occurred when a resident at Sunrise Assisted Living insisted she play songs by ABBA, a famous Swedish pop group, throughout the lunch hour.
She respectfully continued to play all of the ABBA songs she knew, and the resident smiled with joy. Nurses eventually convinced the resident to eat lunch, and Bharadwaj vowed to never stop playing music for others.
Although "Smiles With Music" has a special focus on music, students who aren't musically oriented also are welcome to volunteer. They can dance, read stories or play bingo with residents. Interested students should send Bharadwaj an email at mbharadwaj12@tjs.org or info@smileswithmusic.org, or call her at 636-448-9925.
They also can visit www.smileswithmusic.org to complete a preliminary form and begin gaining meaningful and credible volunteer hours. Most of all, they can give smiles with music to those in need.