I was recently asked to provide a piece of music for a young student of classical guitar to play at The Children’s Festival at The Vero Beach Art Gallery. He is part of The Music Angels Program. As described on their website, "Music Angels Education Fund is a 501(c) non-profit organization devoted to making a difference in Indian River County by providing private music lessons to children, aged 4-17 years old, who might not otherwise have access to them due to financial limitations.” I offered my work entitled Reagan to be performed. It was written as a sixteenth birthday gift to a dear friend. Reagan is a non-speaking woman like me. It struck me, as this polite young man played my song, that a non-speaker made this art for another non-speaker, and now an entirely speaking audience was enjoying it. I always tell my mother that it is more important to me that people know a non-speaker composed the work, rather than them knowing my name. I want others to know that non-speakers are capable of contributing meaningfully to the arts. After the performance I was treated as a composer and loving people waited to speak to me respectfully. I was not invited to participate out of pity. I made a spot for myself with hard work. Composing with my board is labor intensive, but it is my life’s joy. Inclusion in this event made me feel so embraced by my community. I am happy to live in a free thinking place where there were no barriers to my participation.
