Harrison Gao
What began as lobby concerts at my local long-term care home in high school has grown into a national youth-led music movement. I founded the nonprofit Students for Music as Wellness in 2020, during the peak of the pandemic where we performed physically distanced outdoor concerts. Outside of performing in healthcare settings, I also spend a lot of time in them as a third-year MD/MSc student at the University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine. Since 2020, I have led concerts, music workshops, and high school chapters in nearly 108 care homes across Canada. For my Sprout 2025-2026 project, my team and I are leading an exciting expansion into hospitals and developing interactive music workshops for seniors into a longitudinal program to ensure everyone can engage in music-making.
Together in Tune: Concerts and Hands-On Music Workshops
Together in Tune is a student-led initiative that brings live music and hands-on workshops to seniors in long-term care. Led by youth volunteers trained by a certified music therapist, the project fosters intergenerational connection and emotional well-being through shared musical experiences. Since 2020, our youth team has reached over 4,000 seniors in 100+ care homes. In 2025, the program is expanding into hospitals and high schools to meet growing demand and scale its national impact.
https://www.sfmwellness.org/About this Project
Communities Served
My project will involve and/or impact the following communities:
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
When it comes to community impact projects, the UN has created 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These are the Sustainable Development Goals associated with my project.
How the project works
Trained student volunteers deliver monthly concerts and interactive music workshops in long-term care homes and hospitals. Activities run throughout the year, with new high school chapters launching in fall 2025 to meet increased demand and support ongoing program delivery.
Project Impact
The project reduces social isolation and depression in seniors through music-based engagement. It also empowers youth as leaders and caregivers, building intergenerational connection, empathy, and community through shared creative expression.
Project Mission
Together in Tune aims to improve the emotional well-being of seniors by delivering live music and interactive workshops in care settings. The project fosters meaningful intergenerational connections while empowering youth to lead with empathy, creativity, and purpose. Our goal is to make music a shared tool for joy, healing, and community.
Project Team
A national team of student volunteers deliver music-based care in healthcare settings.
- Students For Music and Wellness Team
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