Music and the Deaf was started 2 decades ago by a remarkable man named Dr. Paul Whittaker. Paul, who has a music degree from Oxford University, has been deaf since birth and profoundly deaf since the age of two. In 2007, he became an Officer of the British Empire. Oh yeah, and he trains choirs in his spare time.
Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, a college student who has been blind since birth, has become the latest superstar on the classical music scene after winning one of the world’s most prestigious awards…
Located in the heart of Muskoka, Ontario CNIB Lake Joseph Centre (Lake Joe) is a world leader in providing people with vision loss with life-changing experiences. Lake Joe is a fully accessible recreational facility that provides a fun and safe environment for people of all ages with vision loss.
And now…CNIB Lake Joseph Centre is searching for the next Canadian superstar! If you’re 16 years or older and have vision loss, it could be you!
Back in November, we highlighted an extraordinary documentary called Autism: the Musical. The film introduced Neal, Lexi, Henry, Adam and Wyatt—five autistic kids who, along with their parents, take part in a groundbreaking theatrical workshop as part of The Miracle Project. Suffice it to say, the children “defied diagnosed expectations”…by writing, rehearsing and performing their own full-length musical!
Well, Autism: The Musical and The Miracle Project caught the attention of quite a few celebrities, and some Hollywood heavyweights have rolled up their sleeves to get involved.
The swiftly-gaining-speed rock band Rudely Interrupted was originally formed by Rohan Brooks, a professional musician who was also working as a music therapist/instructor at St. John of God’s Churinga Day Service in Victoria, Australia—teaching the popular School of Rock class to people with disabilities. “Don’t Break My Heart,” Rudely Interrupted’s first single and first music video, took Australia by storm. Since their debut live performance in 2007, “the Rudies,” as they are now known to their loyal (and ballooning) fan base, have captured the hearts and minds of thousands upon thousands of people across the globe, leaving all who see the band perform speechless, amazed and ultimately inspired.
Yeah, but here’s the cool part…
A few weeks ago, IrkedMagazine.com published a series of features about Metro Transit’s decision to stop offering free bus passes to Nova Scotians who are blind or have minimum sight. To be deliberately cheeky and hyperbolic (but also to express our bona fide outrage) we dubbed the debacle “Halifaxgate.”
After reading our coverage, Canadian icon Terry Kelly has agreed to weigh in. For those of you who don’t know Terry, please allow us to introduce just a few of his many accomplishments:
Here’s a little Christmas poem Donna Williams put together last year, featuring some of her paintings.
The accompanying music is called Is He Home, which belongs to one of Donna’s songs of the same name. It’s played here by a pianist named David Moscoe.
PEABODY: SPECIAL NEW YEAR’S EVE EDITION
by Jane Goetzee, Irked’s unorthodox and unrivaled print cartoonist
