The Moment Ely Realized Her Gift

Story posted March 14, 2016 in News by Cadeja Goodridge

 

Ely Coope is an undecided freshman at The Pennsylvania State University. Growing up, she really enjoyed playing the violin and the piano. Those were her key instruments that she really enjoyed playing. Coope took part in many recitals over the course of her continuous musical career. However, when she was asked about a significant time connected to her passion, she automatically channeled one specific event. 

When Coope was a sophomore in High School, she played in a school open-mic event where many of her friends and family attended. After a great show, Coope’s friend went up to her and told her that her grandparents were in the audience and they were touched by her music. The grandfather of Coope’s friend struggled with extreme Alzheimer’s and he barely remembered who his wife was at times. During the performance, he actually held onto his wife’s hand really tight and said “Barbara, I miss you”. That was a captivating time of Coope’s life, because she was able to realize the power of her music connected to music therapy. From that point on, Coope found her passion for music and discovered that she can do something greater with her talent.