Music has a quiet power—not in concert halls, but in everyday moments where it can touch hearts. I’m not a concert pianist chasing awards; I’m a high school student who has played piano for 13 years, finding joy in every note. Classical and jazz let me give voice to feelings that words cannot.

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One summer at the Clinical Cancer Center at Froedtert Hospital, I played in the lobby, letting the notes fill the still air. A patient waiting for her ride approached, smiling, and told me she had played piano for years and knew how intimidating it can be to perform for strangers. Then she said something I’ll never forget: my music had brought warmth and joy to her—and everyone around us. In that moment, I felt it—the extraordinary power of music, reaching beyond the keys to touch hearts.

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I wanted to share that feeling with others, so I founded Music for Smiles. Together with fellow students who believe in music’s ability to uplift, we perform for patients in hospitals and residents in senior homes. We’re not professionals—just students who love music—but when we see their faces light up, we know it matters. That’s the heart of Music for Smiles.

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                                                                                                             -Andrew-