ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS—The young musicians from Solis and Luna Arts did not have to travel far to find an audience that mattered.
They simply returned to where many of their own stories began.
On May 27, a group of 40 student volunteers brought a therapeutic music program to North Cliff Elementary School, performing for Pre-K and kindergarten through second-grade students in the same school where many of the performers once sat as children.
For the musicians, the performance was more than a concert. It was a reminder that the talents they developed as students could become a way to serve their own community.
The program featured pianists, woodwind players, and string instrumentalists performing a mix of familiar favorites, including songs from Disney and “KPop Demon Hunters,” along with classics such as “Hey Jude” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
The younger students were encouraged to become part of the experience — singing along, dancing, cheering, and sharing in the excitement of live music.
The moment that stood out most came during “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters,” when the children erupted into song, jumping up and joining the performance. “It was so cute watching all of them jump up and sing along,” organizers said.
For one former North Cliff student now serving as a volunteer musician, the experience represented the power of returning home. “I got to see the way children like me reacted to music,” the volunteer said. “Now that I’m a high schooler, I came back to show them just how much music can do — and they were left singing along to the music.”
Solis and Luna Arts was founded by Englewood Cliffs resident Chloey Cho with a mission of using music as a tool for connection and community service. Volunteers perform for audiences ranging from young children to older adults, including individuals experiencing memory loss.
“Music has the potential to bring back memories for Alzheimer’s patients, uplift the moods of toddlers, and provide comfort in ways that are meaningful,” the organization said.
Cho said bringing the program to North Cliff was a natural extension of that mission. “We wanted to give back to the very town we grew up in.”
North Cliff Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jaclyn Auriemma helped support the event. District administrators Colin Winch and Jaclyn Auriemma told us, “The performances were incredible, and our students had an amazing time. The quality of the musicianship was top-notch, and they did a great job connecting with our students … It was really meaningful for our students to see such talent and drive from students only a few years older than some of them. We would have them back anytime. Our students were talking about for weeks afterward.”
For Jonah Kim, the outgoing president of Solis and Luna Arts, the performance provided a fitting conclusion to his year of service.
“Out of all the many performances we had planned this past year, this one in particular showed me the true reason we play music: to offer companionship and joy through creative concerts,” he said.