Last, but certainly not least, Z is for Zyon!
Enjoy Zyon’s dance to “Never Say Never!”
And after that, head over to check out the Rise Awards – a celebration of the achievements of people with Down syndrome that is organized by Zyon’s mom – Yvonne Pierre
These days we have access to music of all kinds at the push of a button.
YouTube is a music lover’s and amateur entertainer’s best friend.
With it, we can dance, share, sing, and enjoy the music we love!
Like this one – watch Craig take over the show!
Continue reading Y is for YouTube – A to Z Blogging Challenge
What is it that makes someone an entertainer? In our community, we often joke that the urge to be a performer must be on the 21st chromosome. Today, we spotlight the performers who entered our first annual #321LipSync Battle last month and examine the X-Factor that each one of them have!
My son Joshua absolutely loves Michael Jackson’s music!
Marcus is a Broadway fan!
Devon is a serious Lip Sync fan!
If you’ve seen Born This Way on A&E, you know that Sean M. is consummate entertainer!
And Sean S., our winner, has got the moves!
I think you’ll agree – they’ve all got that special “X-factor” that makes them entertainers!
The ability to earn a paycheck doing something you love is a dream for all of us. Hannah Sampson is living that dream!
Her story recently appeared on BBC.com
“Becoming a professional dancer was always 22-year-old Hannah Sampson’s dream. Having Down’s syndrome, though, she imagined there would be too many barriers in the way.
Music, done well, can ignite other senses. When an indie band from Australia hits the stage, audiences are in for a sensory explosion.
Rudely Interrupted was formed in 2006 and has been creating original music and touring internationally ever since.
They’ve even been invited to play at the United Nations!
My personal favorite song of theirs is ‘Close My Eyes.’ Watch how, during the first verse the audience can’t see the band members. In the second verse, band members, and their visible disabilities, defy any audience expectations. It’s a subtle but powerful test of our own prejudices.
Find the guys:
There are many great “U” words I tossed around for our Music In Me theme. “Unbelievable” came to mind. One of Marcus’ favorite songs is “Unwell” and mine too and we could talk about that for awhile.
But no…there are only a few days and posts left and so, in order to squeeze in what I consider a very important and poignant song, image, and message.
Soooo, U stands for Under which rhymes with Wonder.
“Wonder” by Natalie Merchant
I really think we couldn’t have this theme without this one. Enjoy!
“Wonder”
By Natalie Merchant
What’s better than dancing?
Dancing on a stage!
Many of our friends love musicals, including Josh and Marcus.
We love to see folks on the stage, and you’ll find singers and dancers with Down syndrome in everything from solo dance moves:
to Shakespeare
Meet the band Dare to Be Dreamers:
Dare To Be Dreamers is a San Diego band using their music & films to inspire hope and make dreams come true. Their debut album “Still Young” is an exhilarating journey through sound and space.
In two videos – ‘Still Young’ and ‘Making Believe’ – we get to see Ryan fulfill his dream to star in music video.
You can follow the band and Ryan here:
“Why do you want to be a writer?” He asked.
“Immortality.” I answered.
For once, he had no retort.
Artists remain alive in our conscious, remain relevant to our soul, always. In different ways, yes. In very personal moments, definitely. In the quiet and in the noise, artist’s work scream history and whisper emotion. Forever.
Continue reading R is for the Ring – A to Z Blogging Challenge
Today we have a guest post from Katie, the author of For Elysium blog. Thank you Katie for joining us on The Road!
Music has an undeniable influence on memory, as significant moments in our lives are connected to the music we listened to at the time. My earliest memories tied to music are understandably guided by my parents’ tastes.
At age 12 when my own music interests started to develop, they were prompted by another member of my family–my great uncle. One day visiting his house, I related to him country music’s level of “uncool.” He insisted that I put on his enormous headphones and listen to Mary Chapin Carpenter on his “jambox.” At first I was intrigued. Then he played “Quittin Time” and I was hooked. It is still one of my favorite songs.
Continue reading Q is for Quittin’ Time – A to Z Blogging Challenge
