The Music Department hosted the annual Senior Cafe to put on “dinner and a show” for local senior citizens on Friday, October 25.

The food for the event was donated by families of music students, prepared by the Farmington Friends of Music, and served by student volunteers. Musical performances were also put on exclusively by students. Organizer of the event, Music Department Chair Leslie Imse said that students were allowed to “…select music that they think seniors would like, prepare it, and audition for the show.”

Imse started Senior Cafe in response to former President Barack Obama’s call-to-action before the 2008 recession.
“Our president called us to help our communities. He said that the people who would feel the recession the most would be the elderly in our towns. So this event was created…for our students and families to uplift our senior citizens in the community,” Imse said.

Since then, the show has become a tradition that both seniors and students look forward to every year. Junior Dylan St. James and senior Leah Bolles performed the song “City of Stars” from the movie La La Land. Both members of the Chamber Choir and Madrigals group, Bolles and St. James prepared in the weeks prior for their performance by meeting after and during school in the practice rooms to sing together.

“I wanted to participate as a performer because it is a great way to give back to the community. The senior citizens that come to our school don’t have the chance to hear young people make music very often, so this is a great way for performers to bring some youthfulness and music into [their] lives,” Bolles said.