Tiffany Chen’s fingers work magic. Her ability to create melodies on the piano and make music with the black and white keys is remarkable. But the harmonious notes and chords itself are not the magical elements of her playing. Rather, it is the unique audience that she plays for that makes her performances extraordinary.
Tiffany is a pianist who uses her talent to serve others. Every week, Tiffany devotes her Saturday playing for hospitalized patients at the Huntington Hospital. From Bach to Mozart and Chopin, she plays for several hours at the inpatient rehabilitation center.
“I really like taking my passion and turning it into a service for other people,” Chen said. “I don’t get a lot of patient contact since I’m playing, but the act itself makes me so happy.”
Piano made a presence in Tiffany’s life at the age of three. She started on the keyboard, singing as she pushed the keys, and learned to correlate the notes with the rectangular “buttons.” Then came an unending love for playing and the continuous presence of piano through daily practices and regular lessons. She quickly progressed, completing the advanced level with honors at the age of eleven.
Tiffany’s first piano competition was in 2001, when she played in the Southwestern Youth Music Festival, and placed third. This achievement would later be followed by three first place awards in subsequent years. However her emphasis was not on winning awards, but on using her talent to give back to the community.
“I love to volunteer and help people,” Chen said. “This is my most favorite thing in the world!”
During the weekdays, Tiffany is also a piano teacher and a club leader. She teaches piano to an elderly lady and a little girl, and as the founder and president of the Music for Charity Club, has organized a charity concert that raised over $1000 for the Union Rescue Mission, a local charity organization.
“I think we were able to give a good performance and help the community at the same time,” she said.
What makes Tiffany different from other young pianists is her desire to serve others and the community through her talent. She hopes to satisfy this desire with her future goals.
“I’m beginning to learn jazz piano [and] start a YouTube tutoring series. Maybe I’ll compose too,” said Chen.
Great article Gloria! I love the introduction paragraph and the overall focus of the article.