Meet the Musicians: Once Upon A Bench

Microwaved stir-fry. A plastic fork you didn’t ask for. Squeak. One tragic sigh. Avery, age six, climbed onto the piano bench in full protest. Striped cotton dress in pink, green, and teal, yanked on backward for flair. One dinosaur sock, one plain. A navy blue and white striped bucket hat. A neon pink jacket tied around her waist like a cape. Plastic chunky beads clacking around her neck with her movement. “The newest fashion,” she’d say. She pounded out a minor-key “Twinkle Twinkle,” pausing only to scowl at her steamed vegetables. Her parents called it dinner. She called it artistic resistance. The piece ended with a glissando and a glare. The broccoli remained untouched.

Tissue-lined Tupperware. A limp rose cut with kindergarten scissors. A eulogy written in purple glitter gel pen and sealed with a Hello Kitty sticker. Xinyuan, age seven, wore a tutu, a cape, and one sock with dinosaurs. She played her first concert on a keyboard with mystery smudges and at least one sticky G key. Then she bowed. Twice. When her goldfish died, she gave it the kind of funeral you’d expect for the Queen of England.

We didn’t know each other then. But even as kids, we were already using music to say the things we didn’t know how to say: grief, frustration, defiance, imagination. We played to feel things. To speak without speaking. To express what we didn’t yet understand.

Today, we still play for that reason. But now, we play for someone else. For children who can’t always express what they’re feeling. For kids with autism and ADHD who experience the world differently, and deserve to be understood, supported, and heard. For families searching for moments of calm, connection, and hope.

Through this concert, we’re using music the way we always have: to say what’s hard to say. And this time, it’s for them.

Over the years, we’ve grown from pajama-clad dramatics to dedicated musicians. Xinyuan is a nationally acclaimed pianist, recognized for her extraordinary technique, emotionality, and stage presence. Avery is the founder of Melodies 4 Medicine, a youth-led nonprofit that uses music to bring comfort and connection to vulnerable communities. 

As a piano duet, we’ve earned top international honors, including Gold Prize at the London Youth International Piano Competition and Second Place at Carmel Klavier. As soloists, Xinyuan has won first prizes at the Omeler, Colorado International, and Marian Garcia piano competitions. Avery has earned top placements in leading statewide contests including Graves, Nathaniel Patch, Tri-State, and Steinway & Sons.

Join us this September for an unforgettable evening that spans from the candlelit salons of Mozart to the smoky jazz bars of La La Land, the icy tundra of Frozen, and the dazzling stage of The Greatest Showman. No passport needed, just an open heart.

One stage. Two young artists. Countless notes. And a cause that needs your heart.