Carroll Students Participate in S.M.I.L.E.

On Monday, June 13, 2016, a group of 13 Carroll students participated in an intergenerational music program uniting young musicians and seniors. The program is known as S.M.I.L.E. and stands for Sharing Music, an Intergenerational Learning Experience. S.M.I.L.E. was created in 2006 by violinist and junior class member Brittany Young, who at a young age recognized the positive impact music has on seniors (particularly those with neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s). Brittany began to engage young musicians from a diverse group of schools throughout the Delaware Valley to share their gift of music with seniors residing in nursing homes and assisted living centers. The musicians receive community service hours through their schools, and the seniors receive a multitude of health and social benefits offered by the music.

This was only the first visit by the Carroll Chapter of S.M.I.L.E. and there will surely be many more to come. The theme of this particular visit was “The Sound of Music” as many of those that participated were also in Archbishop Carroll Theater Society’s spring production of the the play. S.M.I.L.E. will return to Park House Nursing Home in August 2016 and will include members of the concert band as well as the choir. The group looks forward to visiting new venues as well as including more Carroll students in Fall 2016.

See below a photo collage from the visit!

(All photo credits belong to Jennifer Estright, Class of 2017)