Syracuse University women’s basketball coach Quentin Hillsman has a knack for making people smile with his charisma and his passion. He gets a lot of that personality from his mom, Dr. Joan Hillsman.
“This Little Light of Mine" echoes through the "Piano Place" in Syracuse. It’s a fitting song for Dr. Hillsman to be playing on the keys.
In that room, you can’t help but smile and bob your head. Dr. Hillsman’s love of music, which started at a young age, is contagious.
“I was always able to play in the churches because my daddy was the pastor," Hillsman said.
As she plays, the South Carolina native talks about some of her proudest moments, like coaching gospel singers, writing one of her several books, and forming Washington D.C.’s first homeless choir.
“Everybody there wasn’t mentally ill, everybody wasn’t on drugs. There were some there because of the conditions," Hillsman said.
She has a small frame, but a big voice, a huge personality, and a love for life, thanks to music.
“Music is a great vehicle for relaxation, health, and everything during this period of time," Dr. Hillsman said.
Down the hall, she plays Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All," which is also fitting, because as a teacher, she believes the children are our future.
“I get fun out of it. I’ve done this for years,” Dr. Hillsman said.
She teaches people of all ages. She said you can do so many things through music, like become a manager or a producer.
“Adults, young people, they need those songs,” Dr. Hillsman said.
She builds that foundation in that side room of the Piano Place, or virtually.
In her home is where she does some of those virtual lessons and continues to give back to the community through “Joan Hillsman’s Music Network.”
“We’re more than a song and a dance, we help the community," Hillsman said. "This is the project that I’m doing. I’m gathering blankets because the weather is still cold."
She gathers blankets for the homeless and helping those in need, using her platform to do much more than keep the music alive.