The doctors told her she’d never be able to read, write or even talk ever again. Today, she has done that and much more. Linda Wells is a brain injury survivor. Read her letter to the LSM audience. “My name is Linda Wells. I am a brain injury survivor, and this is my story…”

I was born with a congenital defect, meaning that I have lived without the use of a right hand for my entire life. When I was ten, my parents bought me a violin, which was an inordinate expense at the time; the possibility of a successful adaptation would be difficult.

I thought that since I still had use of my upper body and arms, playing guitar would be a cinch. Not so. It took over a year before I could really say I was playing again. Hours of determination and dedication as well as hard work with a physical therapist put me in playing shape again.

I’ve played for most of my life, so when I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), I wondered if the music was over.

By Swayne
I began my musical journey in the streets of Buffalo, NY around 1983, rapping, DJ-ing and beatboxing at house parties, skating rinks and community events. I was one of the best when it came to Hip-Hop, even back then. The deep talent pool in Buffalo motivated me to hone my skills into the Hip-Hop [...]

September 2004 was the month my life pivoted in to God’s hands. Prior to being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, my music career was flourishing. Within two years of dropping my first mix-tape, I was receiving interest from P. Diddy’s Bad Boy label, Lil Wayne’s Cash Money label and Sony Universal, the world’s largest label.

I spent my 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th birthdays locked up in Ohio prisons. I saw people express and create music in prison in many different ways. It provided the entire community with a sense of humanity in an environment where people were dehumanized–alienated from their human nature….

You are standing backstage. You are aware of everything–the breathing, the shuffles of stage hands, the lights, the heat, the cold, the nerves and sweat dripping off your forehead. Your lifelong dream is minutes away from fulfillment.

Music notation is the “middleman” of music. It stands between you and the music that you want to play. If you learn how to read music, you can play something that you have never heard before. If you know how to write music down, you can better communicate your intentions to others.

It’s 2010. If your New Year’s resolutions were music-related, then put stage fright at the top of the list. Every day, nerves stop a budding musician from sharing music with others. Let’s fight back.