Kneeling on the floor next to her great-grandmother’s chair, Olivia Erway told her that she was going to sing her a hymn. Struggling to hear, her great-grandmother leaned forward, a hand cupped around her ear as Olivia repeated herself. Even after Olivia began to sing beautifully, her great-grandmother still seemed to have trouble hearing, her expression intent as she kept a hand cupped to her ear. Then, she did something that surprised everyone – and is sure to warm Music Man readers’ hearts.
Out of nowhere, Olivia’s great-grandmother began to sing too, joining in with Olivia’s stunning rendition of ‘How Great Thou Art’. What started as a powerful and moving gesture by a young woman suddenly became something much more as their voices joined in an entirely unexpected duet. The musical connection between the two singers moved viewers to tears, one commenting, “God Bless You…you just made a grown man cry” on the video, which now has over 112k views.
To me, the most moving part of Olivia and her great-grandmother’s duet is how clearly touched they are by each other’s singing. It pulled on my heartstrings to see the overjoyed smile that spread across Olivia’s face when her great-grandmother began to sing. Perhaps even sweeter was when her great-grandmother reached out to hold her hand halfway through their duet. Seeing music forge memories that will be treasured forever, like this, reminds me of the true power of music.
This is not the first time a video of a young woman singing to her grandmother has moved online viewers to tears. Music Man fans may be reminded of another deeply moving video posted in 2014 in which Carol George sang a stunning rendition of ‘I Will Always Love You’ to her nan, who was suffering from dementia. The way her astonishing voice immediately connects with her nan is profoundly touching and is yet another video that highlights emotional connection through music.
These kinds of videos serve as powerful reminders of how deeply music can move us. Both Olivia Erway and Carol George were able to use their stunning voices to forge connections with people they loved and create memories they are sure to hold in their hearts forever. For the rest of us who are privileged enough to witness these special moments, it gives us a moment to reflect on the powerful ways music can overcome barriers and bring us closer to the people we cherish.