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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, July 21, 2016 | 28 John Bkila Editor jbkila@oakvillebeaver.com Suite Melody Care program growing leaps and bounds by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff Artscene "Connected to your Community" ith the Suite Melody Care volunteer music program seeing success in leaps and bounds, its founder, Leslie Ashworth wants to extend its reach across the globe. Within the last year, Suite Melody Care has held 120 performances in front of 2,600 audience members and grown to include 20 volunteer performers. Not bad for the brainchild of 19-year-old Ashworth, who came up with the concept in 2012 when she began volunteering at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital's legacy site to play while patients in the rehab ward worked on crafts. A testament to her musical talent, the patients began ignoring their crafts and focused on her playing. Ashworth was then invited by the hospital to come in just to play for the patients after they began asking for her. Suite Melody Care is a youth volunteer community program that encourages musically-gifted young people to give back to the community by bringing live music and musical trivia to those recovering from an illness/ injury and to the elderly. Ashworth and her team of volunteer performers visit long-term care facilities, retirement homes and hospitals across Ontario. "Seeing the immense interest and demand for the Suite Melody Care performances in my own hometown, I realized that this is a great opportunity to create a Suite Melody Care CD/DVD to extend the reach of the program around the world," Ashworth told the Oakville Beaver. "(It) is a very exciting next step for the Suite Melody Care volunteer program." The CD/DVD officially launched with an inaugural benefit concert Ashworth held in May at the University Club of Toronto -- something Ashworth said she was thrilled about for Suite Melody Care. W The concert featured violist Eric Nowlin (of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and New Orford String Quartet); violinist Barry Shiffman (co-founder of the St. Lawrence Quartet); pianist Dianne Werner (Artists of the Royal Conservatory Ensemble); and Ashworth herself. Proceeds from CD/DVD sales -- at suitemelodycare. com -- go towards sustaining and advancing the Suite Melody Care volunteer program. "In addition to the musical performances that include some of my own compositions, as well as some classical favourites, volunteers, educators, venues and members of the community will enjoy learning about the Suite Melody Care story and view testimonials," Ashworth said of the CD/DVD features. A grand prize winner of the Canadian Music Competition, Ashworth said she believes when talented young musicians share their gifts with the elderly, a transformative process is set in motion and Suite Melody Care helps make those opportunities happen. The Oakville teen has been playing the violin since she was four years old, the piano since age six and the viola since 12 -- but she admits the violin is her passion. Ashworth's parents, Stephen and Allison, said they've always encouraged their daughter to give back to the community. "One of the things Leslie has done throughout her musical career to date is share her talents with others, through fundraising, giving performances... but always to be humbled by the fact you have a gift and get to share it with others," Ashworth's father told the Beaver in a previous interview. "That's what drove her to create this vision and inspire other young music students." Anyone interested in volunteering for the Suite Melody Care program can fill out a performer application form on its website or email Ashworth at ashworthproductions@gmail.com, detailing their information, mu- Oakville's Leslie Ashworth is seeing her Suite Melody Care volunteer music program sucsical background, an explanation of why they want to ceed with 120 performances since its inception in 2012 and a growth of 20 volunteer participate and two endorsements or references. performers. | Oakville Beaver file photo Big Movies, Small Prices! 171 Speers Road (at Kerr) Oakville General: $8.50 children (3-13): $6.50 Seniors (65+): $6.50 Tuesdays: $5.00 905-338-6397 www.film.ca facebook.com/filmca @Filmcacinemas The BFG (PG) July 1 The SecreT liFe oF PeTS (G) July 8 GhoSTBuSTerS (STc) July 15 ice AGe colliSion courSe (STc) July 22 STAr Trek Beyond (STc) ) July 22