"Once you see a member of the community smile with tears in their eyes as you play the Frank Sinatra song they requested, you realize that what you're doing extends far beyond performance: We're touching hearts."

Joseph Cheung, vice president and co-founder of the student-run Music Therapy Club at the University of Nevada, Reno knows the impact a simply melody or classical tune can have on people. Cheung, a University senior majoring in Chemistry, believes the club can make an ongoing community impact.

The Music Therapy Club currently consists of 250 official members with approximately 100 consistent members who show up to the majority of the events and meetings. Members dedicate part of their weekends every week to going to elderly care facilities such as Sierra Manor, Brookdale and Brookdale Northwest to bring joy to residents in the form of soulful, classic tunes.

"Our events typically incorporate members providing live musical entertainment for two-to three- hours all the while socializing with the residents," Cheung said. "I think that these weekly events fully showcase what makes our organization special."

Christian Bak, president and co-founder of the club said his favorite moment at Sierra Manor was watching performers play "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles, which caused a dance fiasco. Senior residents and college students erupted into dance during the upbeat song.

Another impactful moment was when a resident suffering from dementia stood up at the end of an event and whispered, "I remember your beautiful violin playing last time you were here." The members of the club stood there in awe of what seemed almost impossible.

The club also volunteers at Renown Health and other community events. Recently, club members partnered with the Little Juice Project and raised more than $5,000 during a coffee crawl for the Eddy House, a central intake and assessment facility for homeless, runaway, foster and at-risk youth ages 12-24.

The club also came together with the community during the Las Vegas Vigil after the tragic events of Oct. 1.

"Providing live music among the silence of despair and having more than a thousand students sing Hallelujah together with candles was truly moving and further empowered the efforts a group of students can make," Bak said.

The club also offers students who are not music majors a chance to express their passion on and off campus. It receives sponsorship and aid for supplies.

"We established the club in Fall 2016, and in just one year's time, Musical Therapy Club has been able to scale tremendously and attract significant attention from the Reno community, "Jared Desamero, sponsorship director and University senior majoring in Economics and Finance, said. "Intuit, one of our community supporters, has been an incredible help this year. They have connected us to other local companies, given us performance opportunities, and have provide critical mentorship as we grow our organization."

In addition, JamPro Music Factory, a retail music store and music school in the Reno area, has provided instruments and copies of Ableton, a digital audio workstation (DAW) for music production.

The club is always looking for new members who are interested in sharing their dedication to music as well as making a difference. For questions regarding the club and to join, contact musicalunr@gmail.com.