We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aani Nagaiah + Gage Samaddar . a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aani Nagaiah + Gage Samaddar, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
Aani: After playing my flute as a musical volunteer at a memory care hospice facility, I felt as though something was missing— that there was creativity within these seniors that could not be shown through the dull facility that they were in. In fact, a senior came up to me after, saying: “I love clarinet, I played in highschool too!”. Right now, creativity takes a backseat to routine in nursing homes, and it often leads to a sense of meaninglessness.
Gage: I always wanted to discover ways to put my version of art into a way that benefits the community to some degree. My grandfather was in a memory care home for years and I always thought to myself that the best way to deliver service to people in those facilities is really to get them doing something of creative value and hopefully triggering a sense of happiness to them. This program of delivering an interactive experience to seniors really was made to be designed around the volunteers. We designed this program so that any creative talents that any volunteers join with, can be harnessed and displayed in a truly beautiful way.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Our Ode To You is a teen-ran nonprofit that focuses on getting senior citizens + memory care patients back into their artistic and musical passions. It’s really a simple task—we bring some art supplies and/or music instruments to a facility and help the seniors rekindle their creative spirit—that’s Our Ode To You! Each session starts off with an arts activity, with guided prompts to engage their minds. We provide canvases and paint supplies, as well as pictures for inspiration. We also include, typically in the sessions done by just the two of us, a performance from Gage just as simply for an extra entertainment factor. As we’ve started our outreach to new volunteers, we highly encourage volunteers to do some sort of performance just like Gage does. The second portion is the music portion, in which the seniors play the instruments that we bring. They range from simple touch instruments like maracas to guitars, violins, and ukuleles. We’ve even had a Carnegie Hall alumni who serenaded us with his violin playing.
Check out our Instagram for more information! https://www.instagram.com/ourode2you?igsh=YjhudWs5MmJydmE0&utm_source=qr
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
At Ode To You, our mission is to reignite the spark of creativity and joy within the elderly community. The golden years are often spent in isolation, devoid of inspiration in sterile environments. We aim to change that by providing engaging creative outlets tailored specifically for seniors. Through our programs, the elderly can rediscover their imaginative spirit and share their wealth of experiences. Our team strives to design activities that aren’t just stimulating but also meaningful. We want to celebrate the stories and talents of this overlooked population. Ode To You is determined to enrich the lives of the elderly and remind them their voices still deserve to be heard. If you or a loved one is seeking connection and creative fulfillment in their later years, let us walk this journey together.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For us, the most rewarding part of being creative is the human connections it allows. Art has the power to bring people together in profound ways. Collaborating with others unlocks something magical – it builds community, empathy, and joy. As artists, we live for those moments where everything clicks and you see projects take on a life of their own. Providing creative experiences for the elderly offers so many of these rewarding moments. When I see their eyes light up as we paint or hear their laughter during acting exercises, it fills my heart. The seniors have such powerful stories to tell, and it’s an honor to help them bring those stories to life creatively. Their excitement and engagement fuels my own passion. I’m reminded that creativity has no expiration date.
The arts allow us to express ourselves honestly. By sharing in that experience, artists and participants alike gain a deeper understanding of each other. That’s what I find most fulfilling. When we create together, we humanize each other. We gain insight into different perspectives. We share in moments that make life meaningful. For me, that collaborative creative spirit is everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ourode2you.carrd.co/?fbclid=PAAabQfUEXKBsaVRRc7HgDoNWs0qtwNBu9j6OuvdZur5Q3_QlF2q93I4njkNE_aem_AaFbW2MbukoyPeH5r17yzQhv9LdqrCCB4Y0aWtLeUtVh_mtLIJu8BeBOsT89n01hC6o
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourode2you?igsh=YjhudWs5MmJydmE0&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@OurOdetoYou?si=HWgmIHynBdkf_sxG