MK Band performs for seniors
By Ashley Shah
Sagey Moorjani, a sophomore at Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS), alongside her two brothers who attend Thurgood Marshall Middle School – Devin Moorjani and Ashay Moorjani – have found a way to bring entertainment to senior citizens even through the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July, the three siblings reached out to a couple of senior homes in Canada and the United States. They then began performing virtual concerts for these seniors each week and the Moorjani Kids (MK) Band Project was formed.
“We’ve always had a love for music, but no way to channel it and this is our opportunity,” Sagey said.
They perform for four senior facilities in Canada, one of which is an assisted living facility and the other three are day programs, and one assisted living facility in Palm Springs. They perform four shows a week, each show lasting about half an hour.
“We perform shows on Wednesday and Friday at 7:15 a.m. because of the time difference, and then log onto school right after. We also perform twice on Tuesdays,” Ashay said.
Each week, they are in charge of learning two to three new songs that are requested from each senior citizens home.
“Usually, the songs that are requested are from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. We learn these songs on the weekends so that we can perform them on the weekdays. It can be kind of challenging having to learn these songs because we have to make up the harmonies and chords, but it’s definitely worth it,” Devin said.
Most of the seniors they perform for suffer from diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
“It’s really such a reward to see the light on their faces when we play for them. It’s nice to see them interact with the music when they start dancing and singing. I feel like the performances are really special and fun for them since they can’t have any visitors right now,” Sagey said.
Through this experience, they have been able to create connections with the seniors for whom they perform.
“I’m super proud of them because they are learning songs that they aren’t familiar with. They’re able to see and perform for their grandpa as well as the regulars, and putting a smile on their faces is something the kids all really look forward to each week. They know that music is good for the brain and helps these folks with dementia and Alzheimer’s,” mother Seema Moorjani said.
Their inspiration for performing stems from their love of singing and playing guitar.
“Our love for music first began from our elementary school music teacher and just continued throughout the years, and our love for guitar comes from our local music teacher here in Scripps Ranch,” Ashay said.
Since July, they have now performed more than 50 shows and 40 songs, and hope to do more.
“Our hope is that we are able to connect and reach out to more senior homes. Playing our music brings us joy and we want to share it with more people,” Devin said.
Not only are they involved in music, they participate in other organizations.
Sagey practices traditional Indian classical dance and is part of the organization South Asian Culture Show (SACS). Devin and Ashay are involved in the League of Amazing Programmers. All three siblings have been practicing karate for around six years at Manna’s Martial Arts and soon will be testing for their black belts.
After each show, the band posts on its website to recap each performance. All of the songs they have performed are available on their YouTube channel.
For more information about the MK Band Project, visit themkbandproject.com.