Musicians Donate Tracks, Nonprofit CD Features Jazz, Country, Hip Hop, Rock & More, Sound in Sight Supports Scholarships for Blind Performers on EasyLiving Front Range Colorado

Blind recording artists have donated eighteen original tracks and covers to the “Sound in Sight” CD, a multi-genre project of the volunteer-run, nonprofit Performing Arts Division, National Federation of the Blind (PAD,NFB). www.padnfb.org Proceeds from sales of “Sound in Sight” support the Mary Anne Parks Performing Arts Scholarship, awarded to blind performing arts majors. Here clips and purchase the CD at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/padotnfotb Recording artists featured on “Sound in Sight” include singer/songwriter Seria Chatters (Tampa), a 2006 Florida Idol finalist and half of the hip hop duo Kemistry, whose single “Body Heat” topped dance charts in 2008. The CD includes songs by 2006 Jus Plain Folks finalist Brooke Fox (NYC), country singer songwriter J.P. Williams (Nashville), easy jazz vocalist Lisa Ostrow (Boston), Sarasota-based jazz pianist Mike Markaverich, alternative rock songwriter Kevin Reeves, opera singer Beth Allred (Denver) and more. PAD supports blind and visually impaired entertainers through scholarships, subsidies, mentoring and networking. As part of its larger goal as a division of the NFB, PAD works to improve opportunities for all blind people. Unemployment among working-age blind Americans has remained at seventy percent for decades, consigning many talented, educated blind people to lives of poverty. Only ten percent of the nation’s blind children are taught to read Braille, the only tool offering true literacy and the common link among many successful blind people. Issues facing blind Americans rarely make the news, and many blind people report repeated problems with misunderstanding and discrimination. PAD understands that having a strong media presence has helped other minorities. Currently, there are very few blind people and no blind women in the national spotlight. PAD hopes that as America enjoys the music of blind entertainers, opportunities will improve for all blind Americans.