I began my journey as a Salvation Army Toronto Grace Health Centre (TGHC) volunteer in 2015. At the time I was a newly enrolled University of Toronto undergraduate student and had joined the U of T based group Healing Sounds of Music (HSM). It was this group that eventually led me to Improm2Crew. Improm2Crew is a music volunteer group that performs at TGHC on a monthly basis. Our repertoire includes Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and more. A crucial element of our group is providing music that is both meaningful and relevant to our audience and so we tend to sing globally recognized songs like “Let It Be” or “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. One of my favorite moments are when the entire audience joins us and we all are able to sing in unity.
As our name “Impromptu” suggests, we often improvise on the spot when fulfilling requests, regardless of whether our group knows the song or not. Although this method may sound unorthodox and is at times risky, it also opens up the opportunity for incredibly meaningful and rewarding experiences. Just this month, an audience member requested the song “Goodnight Irene” which we did not know. We scrambled to learn it and began to play the chords hesitantly. With the help of well-versed audience members we were able to collaborate and collectively perform a song that felt nostalgic, sincere, and joyful. Music is one of the most precious gifts that we have as people and it is an absolute pleasure to be able to share in other people’s experiences and lives as a TGHC volunteer.
Haedeun Kim
Stephanie Buzzanca, Haedeun Kim, Sisi Feng and Aryan Ghaffarizadeh (not in picture)