Couple Moved Into a New Place and Heard Loud Music Next Door. When They Knocked, Something Beautiful Happened (Exclusive)

• When Lydia Pender and her husband, Andy, moved into their new apartment in Honolulu, they noticed music coming through the walls from their neighbor's apartment

• They decided to go over, and met Derek Peart, a 98-year-old former English pilot in the British Navy

• They discovered his music was loud because he wears hearing aids that weren’t picking up sound properly, and decided to help him, sparking a friendship

• Since then, Peart has invited the couple over for a monthly dinner and piano performance

• Eventually, Pender posted videos of Peart playing piano on TikTok, which went viral, amassing millions of views

Three years ago, Lydia Pender and her husband, Andy, were moving into their new apartment in Honolulu, Hawaii, when they noticed music coming through the walls from their neighbor's apartment. They decided to go over, introduce themselves and see what all the ruckus was about.

That's when they met Derek Peart, a 98-year-old former English pilot in the British Navy. After chatting with him, they discovered the music was playing loudly because he wears hearing aids that weren’t picking up sound very well. So, the couple helped him adjust his hearing aids. While doing so, they noticed a piano in his apartment.

Later, the couple learned that Peart had taken lessons as a child but eventually stopped. When he got older, he realized he could just sit and play anything from memory, feeling his way on the keys. His late wife, Mickey, had encouraged him to play and even bought him the Yamaha piano he still plays today.

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"He said he would play for us sometime, and that's where the friendship started," Pender, 33, tells PEOPLE exclusively. "We thought he was the coolest guy and wanted to hang out with him more!"

"First, he invited us over for tea, and we did that a few times," she shares. "Then we had him over for wine, then Christmas cocktails, and eventually dinner, where I would cook for the guys at our place. Then he suggested playing for us, and we said we’d pick up dinner and asked what he would like. He said pizza was his favorite."

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Since then, the couple and Peart have turned their get-togethers into a little monthly tradition: pizza and beer, never skipping dessert, followed by a mini-concert from Peart — sometimes with a theme, like Christmas songs or Valentine’s Day love songs. Pender adds that, since she enjoys singing, sometimes Peart writes lyrics for her to sing along with him.

"We love to do 'Secret Love' by Doris Day," she says. "He also loves when Andy and I dance while he plays. He loves music from old movies, the musical Cats is one of his favorites."

Eventually, Pender started recording videos of their performances to send to her mom, who also plays the piano. Then, one day, she decided to post one of the videos to TikTok, hoping to spread some joy and show people just how special a person and musician Peart is.

But when the video went viral, amassing millions of views, Pender couldn’t believe it.

"I thought it was incredible," she tells PEOPLE, adding that she reads every single comment and relays many of them back to Peart. "It was such a positive little pocket of the Internet. Derek has touched so many people. He loves it when I read the comments to him — people telling stories about their grandparents that they miss or other musicians complimenting his arrangements."

"I often ask if he’d like me to keep posting, and he says, 'Post it all!' " she continues. "He loves it and can’t believe the reach it has. He can’t believe I basically have 'a little TV' in my hands. He says he can’t believe he’s famous at this age."

Through her videos, Pender hopes to remind people that friendships can span all ages. She says that from her friendship with Peart, she’s realized that spending time with elders is a gift, and she loves hearing Peart’s amazing stories and enjoying his piano skills.

She adds that, besides their monthly dinners, Peart will often call to say hi, or Pender and Andy will check in with him to see if he’s up for a visit, which they usually schedule a week in advance.

"We want to live next to Derek and enjoy his company as long as we can," she says. "He’s extremely passionate about music and says it has kept him alive."

"Another fun thing is that he loves animals; we have a cat named Biscuit that he absolutely loves to visit. Sometimes I bring him over to Derek’s so he can pet him for a little while," she adds.

Read the original article on People