[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
thank you most of you recognize that
thank you most of you recognize that this instrument is a saxophone and many
this instrument is a saxophone and many
this instrument is a saxophone and many of you recognize that tune is take five
of you recognize that tune is take five
of you recognize that tune is take five by Paul Desmond but what probably you
by Paul Desmond but what probably you
by Paul Desmond but what probably you didn’t notice is the fact that I play my
didn’t notice is the fact that I play my
didn’t notice is the fact that I play my saxophone in a very unusual way I play
saxophone in a very unusual way I play
saxophone in a very unusual way I play my saxophone with only one hand
my saxophone with only one hand
my saxophone with only one hand saxophones and for that matter all
saxophones and for that matter all
saxophones and for that matter all commercially available musical
commercially available musical
commercially available musical instruments are designed to be played
instruments are designed to be played
instruments are designed to be played with two able-bodied facile hands but
with two able-bodied facile hands but
with two able-bodied facile hands but the thing of it is I don’t have too good
the thing of it is I don’t have too good
the thing of it is I don’t have too good hands 17 years ago I had a stroke that
hands 17 years ago I had a stroke that
hands 17 years ago I had a stroke that paralyzed the left side of my body I had
paralyzed the left side of my body I had
paralyzed the left side of my body I had no movement in my leg the left side of
no movement in my leg the left side of
no movement in my leg the left side of my abdomen my left arm was paralyzed my
my abdomen my left arm was paralyzed my
my abdomen my left arm was paralyzed my left hand had no movement the left side
left hand had no movement the left side
left hand had no movement the left side of my neck was paralyzed the left side
of my neck was paralyzed the left side
of my neck was paralyzed the left side of my face was paralyzed even the left
of my face was paralyzed even the left
of my face was paralyzed even the left side of my tongue was paralyzed since at
side of my tongue was paralyzed since at
side of my tongue was paralyzed since at the time of my stroke I was already a
the time of my stroke I was already a
the time of my stroke I was already a professional musician and assistant
professional musician and assistant
professional musician and assistant professor of music at the University of
professor of music at the University of
professor of music at the University of Nebraska at Kearney my health created
Nebraska at Kearney my health created
Nebraska at Kearney my health created some real problems for me so in an
some real problems for me so in an
some real problems for me so in an effort for me to return to work teaching
effort for me to return to work teaching
effort for me to return to work teaching and performing on the saxophone I worked
and performing on the saxophone I worked
and performing on the saxophone I worked together with Jeff Stelling of Stelling
together with Jeff Stelling of Stelling
together with Jeff Stelling of Stelling brass and ones to develop this
brass and ones to develop this
brass and ones to develop this instrument that I just played for you
instrument that I just played for you
instrument that I just played for you with one hand I’m now working to make
with one hand I’m now working to make
with one hand I’m now working to make more instruments like mine available to
more instruments like mine available to
more instruments like mine available to persons with disabilities so a person
persons with disabilities so a person
persons with disabilities so a person with a disability an instrument like
with a disability an instrument like
with a disability an instrument like this represents an opportunity for
this represents an opportunity for
this represents an opportunity for undifferentiated participation in music
undifferentiated participation in music
undifferentiated participation in music when I say undifferentiated
when I say undifferentiated
when I say undifferentiated participation in music what I mean is
participation in music what I mean is
participation in music what I mean is that with a well-designed musical
that with a well-designed musical
that with a well-designed musical instrument a person with a disability
instrument a person with a disability
instrument a person with a disability can make music with the same facility
can make music with the same facility
can make music with the same facility with the same fluency indeed with as
with the same fluency indeed with as
with the same fluency indeed with as much artistic integrity as an
much artistic integrity as an
much artistic integrity as an able-bodied person playing a
able-bodied person playing a
able-bodied person playing a conventional musical instrument
conventional musical instrument
conventional musical instrument let’s consider the implications of an
let’s consider the implications of an
let’s consider the implications of an instrument that like this just a bit
instrument that like this just a bit
instrument that like this just a bit further when I played my saxophone for
further when I played my saxophone for
further when I played my saxophone for you a moment ago you saw me as a
you a moment ago you saw me as a
you a moment ago you saw me as a saxophone player nothing more nothing
saxophone player nothing more nothing
saxophone player nothing more nothing less
less
less that is the potential of an adaptive
that is the potential of an adaptive
that is the potential of an adaptive musical instrument because of because
musical instrument because of because
musical instrument because of because this instrument because of this
this instrument because of this
this instrument because of this instrument my disability disappeared
instrument my disability disappeared
instrument my disability disappeared this instrument at my hands enabled my
this instrument at my hands enabled my
this instrument at my hands enabled my transformation from what had been a
transformation from what had been a
transformation from what had been a person with a disability to lose the
person with a disability to lose the
person with a disability to lose the with a disability and return to being
with a disability and return to being
with a disability and return to being simply a person once again that’s a very
simply a person once again that’s a very
simply a person once again that’s a very powerful change that is the power of an
powerful change that is the power of an
powerful change that is the power of an adaptive musical instrument and that’s
adaptive musical instrument and that’s
adaptive musical instrument and that’s what undifferentiated participation in
what undifferentiated participation in
what undifferentiated participation in music is all about in the years since my
music is all about in the years since my
music is all about in the years since my stroke I faced the battle which has been
stroke I faced the battle which has been
stroke I faced the battle which has been emotionally painful and deeply personal
emotionally painful and deeply personal
emotionally painful and deeply personal for a time I could not feed myself or
for a time I could not feed myself or
for a time I could not feed myself or even walk seven steps to get to bathroom
even walk seven steps to get to bathroom
even walk seven steps to get to bathroom and yet the whole time I knew that I was
and yet the whole time I knew that I was
and yet the whole time I knew that I was still the same human being in deep
still the same human being in deep
still the same human being in deep inside in my heart deep in my bones I
inside in my heart deep in my bones I
inside in my heart deep in my bones I had the same aspirations I had the same
had the same aspirations I had the same
had the same aspirations I had the same ambitions I had the same hopes and fears
ambitions I had the same hopes and fears
ambitions I had the same hopes and fears and I still had the same desire to make
and I still had the same desire to make
and I still had the same desire to make music as before my stroke until that
music as before my stroke until that
music as before my stroke until that point my whole life had played itself
point my whole life had played itself
point my whole life had played itself out in the medium of the musical world
out in the medium of the musical world
out in the medium of the musical world music is how I made my living music was
music is how I made my living music was
music is how I made my living music was how I recreative it’s what I did for fun
how I recreative it’s what I did for fun
how I recreative it’s what I did for fun with my friends music is how I
with my friends music is how I
with my friends music is how I celebrated religious holidays Christmas
celebrated religious holidays Christmas
celebrated religious holidays Christmas Easter Lent national holidays fourth of
Easter Lent national holidays fourth of
Easter Lent national holidays fourth of July or Memorial Day it didn’t matter
July or Memorial Day it didn’t matter
July or Memorial Day it didn’t matter there was music happening it’s how I met
there was music happening it’s how I met
there was music happening it’s how I met my wife music is what I do with my
my wife music is what I do with my
my wife music is what I do with my children when I got home from work in
children when I got home from work in
children when I got home from work in the evening so much so that my personal
the evening so much so that my personal
the evening so much so that my personal identity was very tightly in match
identity was very tightly in match
identity was very tightly in match in the musical world so that when for
in the musical world so that when for
in the musical world so that when for quite some time it looked as if I would
quite some time it looked as if I would
quite some time it looked as if I would never make music again I had the feeling
never make music again I had the feeling
never make music again I had the feeling that the universe were trying to erase
that the universe were trying to erase
that the universe were trying to erase my life’s work like the universe we’re
my life’s work like the universe we’re
my life’s work like the universe we’re trying to erase my past my present and
trying to erase my past my present and
trying to erase my past my present and my future the universe we’re trying to
my future the universe we’re trying to
my future the universe we’re trying to erase my personal identity from
erase my personal identity from
erase my personal identity from existence no you’re not a musician no
existence no you’re not a musician no
existence no you’re not a musician no you never were a musician and no by
you never were a musician and no by
you never were a musician and no by golly you’re never going to be a
golly you’re never going to be a
golly you’re never going to be a musician in the future my whole life the
musician in the future my whole life the
musician in the future my whole life the musical world has been my home it’s the
musical world has been my home it’s the
musical world has been my home it’s the residents that I returned to after I go
residents that I returned to after I go
residents that I returned to after I go off into other things so when this
off into other things so when this
off into other things so when this extraordinary instrument came into life
extraordinary instrument came into life
extraordinary instrument came into life into my life it became for me a sword
into my life it became for me a sword
into my life it became for me a sword that I used to fight my way back home to
that I used to fight my way back home to
that I used to fight my way back home to reclaim a vital part of my life that I
reclaim a vital part of my life that I
reclaim a vital part of my life that I felt had been so unfairly taken away
felt had been so unfairly taken away
felt had been so unfairly taken away from me maybe I overdosed on Harry
from me maybe I overdosed on Harry
from me maybe I overdosed on Harry Potter a couple years ago but I honestly
Potter a couple years ago but I honestly
Potter a couple years ago but I honestly feel that musical instruments like these
feel that musical instruments like these
feel that musical instruments like these on that musical instrument like these
on that musical instrument like these
on that musical instrument like these are magical creatures with the power to
are magical creatures with the power to
are magical creatures with the power to transform human lives I simply don’t
transform human lives I simply don’t
transform human lives I simply don’t have the words to express the joy and
have the words to express the joy and
have the words to express the joy and redemption this instrument has brought
redemption this instrument has brought
redemption this instrument has brought into my life and since I ran out of
into my life and since I ran out of
into my life and since I ran out of words and I still have a couple of
words and I still have a couple of
words and I still have a couple of minutes
minutes
minutes I’ll play my saxophone for you once
I’ll play my saxophone for you once
I’ll play my saxophone for you once again this time
this time you may you can probably more
this time you may you can probably more easily note how I manage all the note
easily note how I manage all the note
easily note how I manage all the note changes that on a conventional saxophone
changes that on a conventional saxophone
changes that on a conventional saxophone are done with ten fingers I do with only
are done with ten fingers I do with only
are done with ten fingers I do with only my right hand on this extraordinary
my right hand on this extraordinary
my right hand on this extraordinary instrument designed and built by Jeff
instrument designed and built by Jeff
instrument designed and built by Jeff Stelling this is music by Victor Marasco
Stelling this is music by Victor Marasco
Stelling this is music by Victor Marasco it’s his piece titled blue Caprice
”
Be First to Comment