The COVID-19 pandemic and the mandatory stay-at-home order has turned most high school students’ lives upside down. Jordan Hierholzer of Bloomingdale is using his mandatory stay-at-home time to lift the spirits of his neighbors. Jordan has been hosting cello concerts in his front yard on the weekends for his Fairway Manor neighborhood in Bloomingdale.
“My mom and dad gave me the idea to do it,” Jordan said. “I did it because it’s the right thing to do right now. I want people who need to listen to music to come out and listen to it. I want them to be joyful and feel joyful about the music.”
Jordan is 17 years old and in 10th grade at Bloomingdale High School. He is also on the autism spectrum, but his parents have worked hard with him since he was in kindergarten to get him mainstreamed.
“Today, Jordan is in honor classes at his high school, on the varsity track and cross county team and has been on the varsity team since his freshman year,” said Laura Hierholzer, Jordan’s mom. “He has been playing the cello and piano for the last four years. He is in the orchestra at Bloomingdale and he is in the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra as well. He seems to excel at everything he does.”
Jordan has hosted three cello concerts in his front yard since March. The last concert he hosted was on April 19 and his cello instructor, Diego Villa, accompanied him.
“I have been taking lessons with Mr. Villa for the last four years and when we told him what I was doing, he asked if he could join me,” Jordan said. “I played the Concerto No. 1 in C Minor by Joseph Haydn. It was really a nice piece.”
Villa and Jordan rehearsed the piece together for 20 minutes via FaceTime and then performed the concert in Jordan’s front yard, six-feet apart from each other.
“People who were driving in their cars stopped to listen,” Laura said. “People walking by stopped to listen as well.” Laura is unbelievably proud of her son for what he is doing for their neighborhood.
“I’m so proud of him and he is so inspiring,” Laura said while tearing up a bit. “Jordan has always had a knack for bringing smiles to everyone’s faces. To see him play in our front yard for people is overwhelming and amazing.”
Jordan plans on hosting more front yard concerts in the near future.
“I plan on doing more concerts soon,” Jordan said. “I’ve been trying to do them every other weekend, weather permitting.”
