Young musician creates organization serving assisted living community – williamsonherald.com

While the world reeled from a global pandemic, local high schooler Riya Narayan, 16, spent the past year enriching the lives of assisted living community members across the globe.

Her self-started, youth-run organization, Treats and Tunes, enables youths to share their musical talents with elders who’d otherwise be isolated.

Narayan, now a junior at the University School of Nashville, was inspired to start Treats and Tunes in the fall of her freshman year after she volunteered at an assisted living facility with her mother. Narayan enjoyed the visit so much that she began volunteering at nursing homes regularly. Eventually, she started bringing her violin.

“Visiting the assisted living centers was a way for me to spend some time with the older generation, learn about their stories and then do something I also love,” she said. “I found that music is just something that, regardless of age or whatever anyone’s going through, everyone can connect with.”

Over time, Narayan invited other young musicians to perform alongside her. It was “amazing” until coronavirus started spreading in Williamson County. 

Narayan had to adjust to a changing reality. She called assisted living centers across the state to virtually perform for residents with her friends. At the same time, she connected herself to more musicians.

What started as a group of 10 passionate students soon grew to an international network of talent.

Since the beginning of 2021, roughly 100 high schoolers have performed music in person and virtually for over 25 assisted living facilities in Tennessee, New York, Michigan, Washington, Canada, Venezuela, Brazil and India as part of Treats and Tune’s mission to serve senior citizens in need.

For their in-person events, performers bring cookies, cupcakes and other desserts to the listeners.

“This is optional after performing, but [volunteers] can just sit down and chat with a few residents,” Narayan said. “I always love to do that, and they love spending time with us as well which is such a blessing.

“I remember sitting down with one lady, her name was Roberta, and she told me all sorts of stories about how she performed on Broadway when she was young, and I think just hearing about her and hearing about her stories was so inspirational for me. I try to take each person’s story with me as some inspiration and hope for the things that I can aspire to be in the future.”

Narayan is playing Ariel in her school’s spring production of “The Little Mermaid.” She said she would be happy pursuing careers in music, theater and community service as an adult, yet she understands the importance of her organization’s continuing mission.

Many senior citizens in long-term care centers experience issues such as severe loneliness, Alzheimer’s, dementia and other neurological problems. According to research recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, music is proven to fight mild cognitive impairment, dementia and certain forms of memory loss.

“I want to keep Treats and Tunes going [after I graduate high school],” Narayan said. “That’s a very big thing for me. I might pass it off to someone or find a way to keep myself involved still.”

Treats and Tunes will be hosting performances for facilities for the foreseeable future and into 2022. They have also started a new program where members make seasonal greeting cards for those in need.

Narayan encourages any students interested in joining the organization and serving their community to reach out.

Visit Treats and Tunes’ website at www.treatsandtunes.org, connect on Instagram (@treatsandtunes) or email treatsandtuness@gmail.com.