A Memorable Time Spent With Blind Musicians
I am in gratitude to God for giving us eyes to see the world
In our lives, some moments etch themselves into our hearts, leaving an indelible mark of gratitude. Such was the case when I had the privilege of spending time with talented blind musicians.
In those moments of shared melodies and unique perspectives, I was grateful, attributing the experience to a higher power.
I was anchoring a music program celebrating the festival of Lohri at a senior Citizen Club. Several singers were trying to remain young at heart by singing and enjoying themselves.
This Club is organized by Venu Eye Institute and so they decided to provide musicians to the singers to lend the music to their songs. Since there were Bollywood songs to be sung the musicians had to be trained in Indian music.
They decided to invite blind musicians so that they could also be given some help.
A husband and wife team came along with one more person. The couple were singers. The husband Amit played the synthesizer and their friend Abhishek played the tabla.
They were amazing musicians.
As I was the MC I had a chance to conduct the program and also coordinate with them. They not only played the music but they sang several songs that touched my soul and the core of my heart.
Into the world of the visually impaired musicians, I was immediately drawn by the enchanting symphony they effortlessly created. How could you believe that people who cannot see can be so musical and good unless you have first-hand experience of it?
Their instruments became an extension of their souls, painting a vivid picture of resilience and passion.
In that room, disability faded into the background, making way for the true essence of their art.
All the people in that room were spellbound by the beauty of their melodious voices.
Witnessing these musicians navigate their instruments with such precision and grace was a humbling experience.
Their talent in music could not be hidden despite their disability. They had a determination to overcome the challenges life had thrown at them.
This was a great life lesson for me in perseverance that was far beyond the confines of the music room. It kept on reminding me of the strength that lies within us all.
At the same time, I was grateful to God for having given us ‘eyes’ to look at others.
Communication took on a new form in the presence of these extraordinary individuals.
As we shared stories, laughter, and, music, I realized that connections can be made through the language of music that became our bridge, with a depth of understanding far beyond the limitations of sight.
However, sight does limit many activities and I was again in gratitude to God that he gave us eyes to see the world. People without sight do battle with their everyday lives.
We should all be grateful that we can enjoy life by being able to see.
In the company of these musicians, gratitude for the gift of sight intensified.
The realization that the world they perceived through sound and touch was the one I saw with my eyes filled me with a profound sense of appreciation for the senses we often take for granted.
Lessons learned by meeting the blind musicians:
🍀Life is challenging without eyesight. Enjoy the gift of sight but never forget to be grateful to the creator for giving you eyesight.
🍀🍀Never forget that people who do not have eyesight have other talents. They are very creative and loving people. It is important to respect them as our equals.
🍀🍀🍀The blind do not want to be pitied. They have enough resilience and patience and can do marvelous jobs but they need others to accept that they have challenges and to give them a chance in life to try to excel.
🍀🍀🍀🍀Be ready to help the blind wherever you can reach out to them. They do need our support as they do not have the requisite strength to fight with the world.
To wrap up
The opportunity to share in their world, be moved by their melodies, and connect on a level that was at a music program was a gift beyond measure. Gratitude welled up within me, and I whispered thanks to a higher power for the serendipity of this meeting.
Gratitude has the power to transform ordinary moments into extraordinary memories. Their music became a connection, weaving appreciation for the beauty that exists in diversity and the resilience of the human spirit.
As the program ended, from this experience, I carried not only the echoes of their melodies but also a renewed sense of thankfulness for the simple gift of shared moments and the ability to witness life in different forms.
My gratitude to God and a reminder to all my friends, be grateful because you can see and accept people when they cannot see. Give them a chance to move in life as they suffer from the disability of being blind.
©Dr. Preeti Singh, 2024.
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