Musical Abilities

From: WFUV
Length: 29:00

A documentary exploring the lives and music of disabled performers, including singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt and Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Musical Abilities
From: WFUV

Vicchesnutt3_small What kind of challenges do disabled musicians have to overcome to perform? Does the sound of a disabled artist's music reflect his or her handicap? How important is image in today's music industry? In this half-hour documentary, we hear from artists and others about what it means to be a disabled musician. The special includes interviews with singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt and Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen, who explain how they adapted new techniques and relearned how to play music after accidents left them disabled. The show features music from Vic Chesnutt, Def Leppard, the Upstate New York band, Flame, and the Long Island group, Range In Motion.

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Piece Description

What kind of challenges do disabled musicians have to overcome to perform? Does the sound of a disabled artist's music reflect his or her handicap? How important is image in today's music industry? In this half-hour documentary, we hear from artists and others about what it means to be a disabled musician. The special includes interviews with singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt and Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen, who explain how they adapted new techniques and relearned how to play music after accidents left them disabled. The show features music from Vic Chesnutt, Def Leppard, the Upstate New York band, Flame, and the Long Island group, Range In Motion.

Broadcast History

90.7 FM and WFUV.org
5/23/07

Transcript

((MUSIC))

It?s a Saturday night in November and a local band is performing at a church dance at Saint Mary of Mount Carmel in Gloversville, New York. As far as church dances go ? this one is pretty typical ? coffee and snacks are laid out in the back of the auditorium ? and a crowd of mostly senior citizens are dancing. The 11-member group on stage tonight is called ?Flame.? They specialize in covers.

((MUSIC WINDOW))

A slender man with salt and pepper hair and a mustache is enjoying the band. But, Frank Vietri says he didn?t know what to expect before he got here...

?I think they?re great ? phenomenal really ? for supposedly the physically and mentally handicapped ? they?re just superb.?

ALL 11 members of the band ?Flame? are diagnosed with disabilities. Since forming in 2003, the group has given more than 200 paid performances in New York, New Jersey, Massachusett...
Read the full transcript