Loving Hearts is a Christian-based nonprofit organization established in 2015, that serves the Santa Clarita community through educational programs, special events, and community outreach. They offer classes, such as sewing, art, practical English, and yoga, to everyone in the community. The founder, Grace Seo, established the program with the intention of building healthy individuals who can come out and serve the community. The Loving Hearts foundation works with the William S Hart School District and donates materials that could be used in the wellness centers found in the schools.
A concert took place on a Saturday evening at the Newhall Church of the Nazarene. The purpose of the concert was to showcase the talents of the young musicians in the community as well as to fundraise to help the homeless youth in the local school districts through the ZOE foundation. The ZOE foundation is a Christian, anti-human trafficking organization, that was founded by Michael and Carol Hart. There were many people from the community, from high school students to adults, that were involved in helping the concert run smoothly. The concert featured 19 performers, ranging from 2nd grade all the way to 12th grade. There were a variety of instruments played, such as the piano, violin, and flute. The theme of the concert was classical music, so the students played a variety of classical pieces from famous composers, such as Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and Chopin. The concert also featured the church choir, who sang A Serenade to Fall & You Raise Me Up. All the performers in this concert put a lot of effort into their music and played their piece with a variety of emotions. I personally enjoyed the concert very much because of the unique performances, such as one student playing “Carmen Fantasy” by Georges Bizet on her flute. I could tell that the performers put in a lot of time and effort into their pieces because of their enthusiasm and the overall energy that filled the concert room. I asked Jeremiah Chun, a pianist who played “Sonata 3rd Movement” by Aram Khachaturian, why it is essential to express yourself while you are playing your piece. He said, “It is important to put emotions into a piece while playing because it helps you stay motivated to play more throughout the piece. It also helps you concentrate on the mood of the piece, helping you improve your dynamics and your style of playing.” I was on the edge of my seat for every piece because I didn’t know what to expect. Some pieces were peaceful and graceful while others were emphatic and unpredictable. Overall, the concert was absolutely fantastic and even though I personally don’t play an instrument, I could tell how dedicated everyone was when they were playing their piece. It was unbelievable to see how talented all the musicians were at such young ages. These students are bound to have bright futures and maybe one day become a professional musician!
Jonathan Chun, 10th Grade
West Ranch High School
