PHOENIX — Aani Nagaiah volunteered at an assisted living facility the summer after her sophomore year of high school. She even played her flute for the residents, though she wasn’t expecting much – a few polite claps, if any recognition at all.
Nagaiah’s performance was met with “an overwhelming” support from residents.
“I felt so appreciated volunteering,” Nagaiah said. “So I thought ‘let’s just hand it over to them.’”
And that is exactly what Nagaiah and her friend, Gage Samaddar, decided to do. The pair are seniors at Arcadia High School and co-founders of a program dedicated to bringing both performances, like Nagaiah’s, and interactive arts to elderly individuals in the Valley.
They call it “Our Ode to You.” The program is inspired by the pair’s passion for the arts and their want to give back to older generations.
“I wanted to reach out to a group of people that inspired me and give them something from the things that they’ve given me,” Samaddar said. “It is our ‘ode’ to them…It’s our gratefulness in an experience.”
With Our Ode to You, Nagaiah and Samaddar visit memory care facilities, hospice facilities and nursing homes and bring painting supplies and musical instruments. When they first arrive, they often start with painting. Sometimes the pair will give residents a prompt, such as painting something that makes them happy. Other times, they will tell a story.
“It’s mostly about getting to know and getting to appreciate the older generation,” Nagaiah said. “Letting them display their talents for you and you’re able to learn from them.”
After residents finish painting, Nagaiah and Samaddar transition to the music portion of the program. Both students bring their own instruments to give to the residents, teaching them how to strum a guitar or pluck a ukulele. Samaddar often performs for residents, with some even joining him at the piano.
“There were a lot of musicians, even if they just dabbled in it, there was a lot of people that were captivated by the songs I was singing because those are the songs they sang in their childhood,” Samaddar said.
Samaddar was singing ‘Cheek to Cheek’ during an Ode to You visit when one resident came up to the piano and asked to sing together. That resident had previously shared with Samaddar about his own time performing – at Carnegie Hall.
“It was such a sentimental and such a special moment for me, like it really just made me sit back and think to myself like ‘wow, we are really doing something that touches people,’” Samaddar said. “With music, that’s all I ever want to do.”
The Arcadia seniors have big plans for Our Ode to You. They want to start a chapter of the organization at their high school and hopefully encourage other high school students across the Valley to do the same.
“Doing something for your community, like, through the lens of something you are passionate about doesn’t have to fit any spectrum or it's not a competition,” Samaddar said. “You’re all fighting for a certain goal which is to be yourself in a way that is appreciative to others.”
Getting the Valley involved is the first step, but Nagaiah and Samaddar said they both hope to one day see the program at work across Arizona and the country.
“You don’t have to be in high school, you don’t have to be experienced, you don’t need to play five instruments, you don’t need to be a singer, you don’t need to be Van Gogh,” Samaddar said. “You just have to be yourself.”
More ways to get 12News
On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
12News Digital Exclusives
Go beyond the TV broadcast and learn more about unique Arizona stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe for more digital-exclusive content!