Singing out to senior citizens

Joanne Lee, Asst. Photo Editor|April 11, 2023

Diamond Bar High School Sing Out club spread immense joy with their musical talent, bringing a smile to the elderly with one song at a time.

Founded at the start of the year by senior Amanda Holley, a Marquis singer, the club visits Pacifica Senior Living and Whispering Fountains, Diamond Bar, to sing iconic 60s tunes for the elderly once a month. Holley started this club to give students at DBHS an opportunity to make someone’s day at the senior centers. Their most recent event was on Feb. 18 at Pacifica Senior Living.

“We performed multiple songs for the senior citizens where we spread our love for music with others. We also sang alongside the senior citizens living there as well.” Holley said, “My most memorable experience was singing with one of the residents at the senior living center, and we sang ‘Jingle Bells,’ in which we all came together and enjoyed a happy song.”
 To figure out which center to perform for, senior public relations manager Keila Sharifi starts by reaching out to various senior centers and communities to see if they’ve already performed there to branch out and go to a variety of places. The members then get ready by going over the songs they prepare and practicing on their own time or with their group. 

“My experience performing has been heartwarming every single time,” Sharifi said. “I love singing for my community and being able to express myself through music for them,” 

Within Sing Out, club members share many of their sentiments and passions. Ranging from a multitude of different genres, Sing Out club members perform at senior centers to bring some joy to the elderly who do not have many friends or family.

“The club’s main point is to spread joy. Overall the incentive for performing for others is to provide the love, joy, and happiness that music provides to others,” Holley said. “Watching the faces light up from all the elders made this memory special to my heart because I got to see pure joy.”