There is nothing like music to bring people together – there’s a reason music is a huge part of every culture, especially when it comes to uniting as a group with a common aim. Anoova Sattar, a 16-year-old Olympia High School student, noticed that those living in senior-focused centers, such as adult family homes, retirement centers and assisted living, are often left out of the community. She is working to change that with Keys to Connection, a music project that connects youth and seniors through music.
A musician herself, Anoova plays the piano, and has for almost her entire life. She says that originally, she saw music as a transaction – something she did over and over again just to get better at it, with more and more recitals and competitions as the goal. But an epiphany one day led this high school junior down a far different – and more rewarding in her eyes – path.
An Olympia-Based Music Project Brings Youth and Seniors Together
“By focusing more on playing for others, music suddenly became this tool that could be applied to situations outside of a practice room and also something that has helped me grow most as a musician,” Anoova shares. She decided her focus would be helping seniors feel like part of the community again, by bringing youth in to play music for them. Keys to Connection was born.
“I think Keys to Connection is an important endeavor because there are many who lack social interaction on a daily basis and in a meaningful way,” she says. “Having access to music can be very humanizing because it is able to reach a core part of us and trigger life inside of people that may have otherwise been left buried.”
Youth involved in Keys to Connection play their instrument – it doesn’t have to be a piano! – to seniors in our area. “The youth musicians involved are able to use this project as a space to explore their passion for music and use their skills in a ‘real-life’ setting, for lack of a better description,” Anoova explains. “They also get further exposure to people in situations unlike them, which is really the core of the project – to surpass the perceived differences people have with music being the facilitator.”
And the seniors get time with the younger generation, which research has shown helps them feel less isolated; decreases depression and anxiety; and increases mental well-being, motivation and a feeling of purpose. Coupled with music, which has also been shown to have these effects on people of all ages, Keys to Connection is a great therapy. “The older adults are given the ability to listen to music in a live format again, which can be life-saving in some cases,” shares Anoova. “Music has been shown to promote people’s wellbeing and reduce risk of cognitive impairment along with the progression of other age-related issues like memory loss and attention. Outside of the science side of things, access to and engaging with music allows them to use their creativity again because there are some who no longer consider themselves to be creative individuals anymore due to a long period without having had involvement with it or because of the situation they’re in.”
Youth Musicians Wanted for Thurston County
Anoova needs more youth musicians to join Keys to Connection. She is looking for high school and college-aged, though she said middle schoolers are welcome if they are comfortable in the environments the group plays in.
Any background is welcome, though she says they do play a fair amount of jazz and classical, as they seem to be the best received at the senior facilities. “The interactions can be formatted in whatever way the youth want, including playing in groups or doing solo performances,” adds Anoova. “I think it would be fun to do with a group of friends or just as a duo. For example, two sax players or a string trio.”
The plan is to have the youth musicians commit to one event per month. “People interested are able to do one or two visits before committing more long-term,” explains Anoova. “Afterwards, it is expected that anyone who agrees to a certain schedule upholds those dates because the residents do look forward to us coming in, even if it may not always be obvious.”
Anoova likes to involve the audience in the set, so she will often ask the residents listening what their favorite songs are and play them if she is able. It also gives her a list of pieces to prepare for in the future.
So far, she has visited Mother Joseph Care Center, Panorama, Senior Services for South Sound and The Firs. “Now that the project has finally been gaining a bit of momentum and others are joining the operational side of things, expanding to the greater Olympia area and reaching more facilities will be feasible, and that’s something I’m really excited about since the goal is to make music as accessible as possible to the community at large,” she says.
The feedback has been positive from the residents, and she is hoping to expand how they interact with them in the future. “The reaction from the seniors/adults has always been wonderful and they will express things they liked afterward,” she says. “I am still working on ways to make the times that we go in more engaging for them outside of the conversational aspect, and also include them musically. There are often people who used to play an instrument and would like to get back into it or regret having stopped earlier in life, so there may be somewhere to go in that direction, where youth and older adults interact with music together.”
Ready to share your music with another generation? Contact Annova through the Keys to Connection website or Instagram.
