Coronavirus: East Providence Student Salutes Nursing Home Staff

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – Lily Bolarinho admits she typically gets very nervous playing the trumpet solo in front of a crowd.

Whether it be a recital, or an audition, she said being out there on her own is scary for her even after more than eight years playing the instrument.

But she found that somehow wasn't the case the first time she played the national anthem to salute health care workers at an East Providence nursing home during the coronavirus health crisis. As the East Providence High School sophomore prepared to head to Linn Health and Rehabilitation in the city for her fifth nursing home visit on Wednesday, she said that sense of dread that often gnaws at her is now replaced with fulfillment when she feels she is doing her little part to make the day a bit better for health care workers who are doing so much for others.

"When I started playing the national anthem I found I wasn't nervous at all," the 16-year-old told Patch. "It made me want to play. I was happy to play in front of everyone who works so hard, and risk their own lives, every day for their patients."

Bolarinho was set to play for the Linn Health and Rehabilitation nursing staff and other employees at the shift change Wednesday afternoon. She has also played at the East Providence police and fire stations, as well as each night at 7 for her neighbors who come out of their houses to watch her under the travel restrictions of the state's stay-at-home order.

"I was sitting down on the couch during this and thinking about how sad it was," she said. "I was wishing I could do something to help. But being underage I couldn't do much. Then when I was practicing the national anthem on my trumpet I thought it might be nice to play for the nursing homes and the firefighters."

She said she reached out to East Providence Mayor Bob DaSilva's office to set up the first visit and then has tried to get to as many spots in the city as she can in the afternoons after doing her distance learning schoolwork in the morning.

"It's been really hard," she allowed of the online schoolwork. "I take honors classes and our teachers are giving us so much work. You try to figure it out on your own, but I hope it's back to normal soon."

In the meantime, she said she spends a lot of time of her extra time practicing her trumpet playing.

"Music is everything for me during my free time," she said. "I am always doing music-related stuff."

She is part of the Providence Holy Rosary Band Society and intends to continue her trumpet playing beyond high school whether or not she studies music in college.

While she hopes to get back to her band soon, and is perhaps even looking forward in some way to that next "scary" audition, she said she is enjoying the satisfaction of playing for others during this stressful time.

"I've been getting a lot of phone calls, text messages and emails from a lot of people who say they love it," she said. "Someone said that every time she hears me play she always cries. That makes me feel good to know that people are enjoying watching me play."

(If you have a story of a local business, organization or individual lending a hand to those in need during the new coronavirus pandemic, or lift spirits amid social distancing and isolation, Patch wants to let people in your community know about it. Contact Scott Souza at Scott.Souza@patch.com to help us spread the positives during this uncertain time.)

(Video Courtesy of Aldersbridge Communities)

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