Two Children Play Classical Concert on Cellos for Isolated Elderly Neighbor

By Amanda Thomason March 18, 2020 at 1:30pm

There are plenty of parents worried about how to keep their kids busy and educated since so many schools have closed amid the coronavirus outbreak. Thankfully, they can find a wealth of online resources — some that have always been available, and some that have become available in response to schools closing — to help them plan their days.

While this might seem like a time of limitations and rules regarding what we can’t (or at least shouldn’t) do, some people are seeing the positives and running with them.

Nine-year-old Taran, 6-year-old Calliope and their mother, Rebecca Tien, of Columbus, Ohio, are great examples of seeing the possibilities of this turbulent time.

The siblings both play the cello, and they’re both home due to school closures.

Their neighbor, Helena Schlam, is 78 years old and has decided to stay home and keep to herself as a preventative measure.

Knowing this, Tien offered to help pick up groceries or whatever Schlam might need, but the neighbor insisted she was set. So Tien found something else her family could do.

Taran and Calliope put on an impromptu concert for Schlam on her front porch. They brought the music to her.

Another neighbor, Jackie Borchardt, caught the scene and posted it online, where it’s received plenty of appreciation from people all over. Many were encouraged by the heartwarming act and likened it to the videos circulating of Italians playing music and singing from their balconies.

“I loved watching how delighted they all were,” Tien told CNN.

“It was one of those moments where you feel like you’re a part of something incredible. It was also a good way to remember the value of connection, especially at a time like this when everyone feels disconnected. Just to know we were a part of something so sweet, even just for a minute, meant a lot.”

My elderly neighbor is self-isolating. So the neighbor kids are playing her a cello concert from her patio. pic.twitter.com/g6Nr2HNVho

— Jackie Borchardt (@JMBorchardt) March 16, 2020

The videos show Schlam sitting out on her porch, a distance away from the young performers, and it’s clear through her clapping and praise that she thoroughly enjoyed the gesture.

“Also, to be clear: elderly neighbor is not ill and is quarantining to protect herself from outside factors,” Borchardt elaborated. “She briefly came outside and sat on the edge of the porch, about 10 feet from the performance.”

Schlam told The Columbus Dispatch that she was a very appreciative spectator.

“It was so delightful,” she said. “It was a little cold but I just put on an extra coat. The kids are really quite talented and it was so much fun.”

Sharing with y’all pic.twitter.com/75pqmsY8bg

— Jackie Borchardt (@JMBorchardt) March 16, 2020

“I haven’t been out of my house for five days, and I won’t be out anytime soon,” Schlam added. “This was a delightful break for all of us. I love all the kids and I love music. It was such a real gift.”

Tien told The Dispatch, “Obviously I am proud of my kids for doing something kind and I’m glad for them to have that experience and get out and do something exciting in these strange times. But it also is important because it shows we can still have connections right now. I needed that reminder, too.”

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