I'm am obsessed with a new singer that I just discovered on Friday. Roaming around Borders, I was looking for some good new music and saw a cd poster for a singer, Melody Gardot. I loved the cover art, and went to look up where to find the cd. Lo and behold, it was in the jazz section. This resulted in a momentary pause on my part. While I appreciate jazz, it is not usually my chosen genre of music. I'm more likely to be found in the hard/goth rock section...or classical...or international. Yet, I continued to be intrigued and bought the cd sight unheard.
And boy, I am thrilled that I did! While she's a little more Norah Jones than straight jazz, her vocals are gorgeous and the music behind her top rate. I always like to know about the musicians and googled her upon returning home, and I now appreciate her fabulous cd even more. And here's why.
Almost six years ago, at the age of 19, Melody was struck by a car while riding her bike and suffered a fractured pelvis, spine damage, and some trauma to her brain. Essentially a vegetable, physically unable but mentally sound, she began the long road to a partial recovery. She suffered from aphasia, an inability to form words, and until two years ago could only speak with difficulty - the barrier from brain to mouth had been broken. Her doctors recommended music therapy. She had played in piano bars before to help pay for college, and they believed it could help break down the barriers. The rest, as they say, is history.
However, even now she is still burdened with a misaligned pelvis, uses a cane to walk, and continues to suffer neuralgic pain. She also has a autonomic nervous system disfunction which makes her super sensitive to noise and sound and is also the reason for the dark glasses she is seen wearing in all of her pictures. Yet, she credits music for helping her to continue to deal with these difficulties.
Amazing story, right? Never should anyone doubt the power of music, and not just from an audience perpsective - a laissez-faire approach to music - but also as having an active role in the improvement in the quality of life. I think this story is a perfect example of that.
And boy, I am thrilled that I did! While she's a little more Norah Jones than straight jazz, her vocals are gorgeous and the music behind her top rate. I always like to know about the musicians and googled her upon returning home, and I now appreciate her fabulous cd even more. And here's why.
Almost six years ago, at the age of 19, Melody was struck by a car while riding her bike and suffered a fractured pelvis, spine damage, and some trauma to her brain. Essentially a vegetable, physically unable but mentally sound, she began the long road to a partial recovery. She suffered from aphasia, an inability to form words, and until two years ago could only speak with difficulty - the barrier from brain to mouth had been broken. Her doctors recommended music therapy. She had played in piano bars before to help pay for college, and they believed it could help break down the barriers. The rest, as they say, is history.
However, even now she is still burdened with a misaligned pelvis, uses a cane to walk, and continues to suffer neuralgic pain. She also has a autonomic nervous system disfunction which makes her super sensitive to noise and sound and is also the reason for the dark glasses she is seen wearing in all of her pictures. Yet, she credits music for helping her to continue to deal with these difficulties.
Amazing story, right? Never should anyone doubt the power of music, and not just from an audience perpsective - a laissez-faire approach to music - but also as having an active role in the improvement in the quality of life. I think this story is a perfect example of that.
I bought her second album, My One and Only Thrill, and it's so good!! You can hear a song from this album here.
2 comments:
Glasses in the bathtub! A woman after my own heart...
Sparkly earrings in the bathtub ! A woman after my own heart...
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