Oak Bend Review

Please visit Lindsey's website to hear some of her music including a beautiful arrangement of "Amazing Grace" where she plays all of the instruments on different tracks.  It is beautiful.

 http://www.purevolume.com/lindseygirl

Lindsey Lewis is a Sophomore at Booker T. Washington School of the Arts in Dallas, Texas and is a musical prodigy (although she doesn’t’ like to be called that) in spite of some challenges she has had to face along the way.   Lindsey knew from her first guitar lesson, at the age of eight, that music would be her best friend.  Despite Dyslexia, Visual Memory Delay, and Dysgraphia, Lindsey has become an accomplished, award-winning, musician at the age of fifteen, and is acing her A.P. classes as well.  She hopes to attend Julliard when she graduates and with the hard work and dedication Lindsey lives her life by, there is little doubt she will.  Lindsey believes that we all have our obstacles in life but we can achieve what we desire, even though sometimes we have to go about it in a different way.

Lindsey has been very busy lately.  She performed on Cello with Grammy Award Winning Casting Crowns November 29th at the Nokia Theatre in Dalls to a sold out crowd. (proof dreams come true and prayers are answered, if we believe and persevere)

It wasn't easy but we finally caught up with Lindsey to chat for a bit.

OBR: Hi Lindsey. It is exciting to have someone here to represent the talent of the Dallas Booker T. Washington School of the Arts.

Tell us a little bit about the various instruments you play and when did you first realize that music would become such an important part of your life?

Lindsey: I started taking piano lessons at 6 years old.  I had to work very hard at it.  I began guitar lessons at the age of eight and I loved that.  So the deal was, when I finished practicing the piano, I could practice guitar.  For the last four years I have been fortunate enough to study Classical Guitar with Sabine Madriguera, an amazing artist and teacher.

When I was 11 years old I started taking Cello lessons and joined the Middle School Orchestra in order to be eligible to compete on Classical Guitar through UIL but within a month I fell in love with the Cello.  By the end of 6^th grade I had to stop the piano lessons because it was just too much to practice all 3 instruments and keep up with my studies.

But, I have recently returned to piano in addition to guitar and cello.

OBR: I understand that you have had to overcome some of your own obstacles and that you are planning on helping to motivate others with similar hurdles.   I am referring, specifically, to the Dyslexia and Dysgraphia.  Will you tell us a little bit about what Dyslexia and Dysgraphia are and what kind of challenges they presents?

Lindsey: I had a difficult academic start.  Since I was not diagnosed with Dyslexia, Visual Memory Delay and Dysgraphia until the end of fourth grade, almost everyone thought that I was just slow.  Through tutoring and the support of my family and some dedicated teachers, I was able to maintain a decent grade point average, excelling in the things I loved and getting by on the rest for a time. It was incredibly difficult for me to learn to read music.  During my early years of piano study, the notes just seemed to dance around on the page.   My mom would have to learn the songs first and teach them to me and I would play them from memory while looking at (but not reading) the music.   My ability to read music actually came before my ability to read text.  Specialists at Baylor actually credit the music instruction to giving me Dyslexia coping mechanisms for reading text.  Even with the difficulties in learning to read music, I practiced everyday and I have been enjoying success in the past few years.

OBR: Successful, to say the least.  I happen to know that as a Freshman, last year you won Gold Medals in UIL at the City, Region, and State levels and that you now are competitive at a state level on both the Cello and Classical Guitar.  Don’t be modest.  I do my homework.

It is so refreshing that you, at such a young age, are comfortable enough in your own skin to use your experiences and accomplishments to help educate and motivate others.    What an inspiration you are.  How did you get to this place in your life and what helped to get you through the hard times?

Lindsey: I used to be embarrassed about my disabilities, but now I share this information freely.  People are all dealing with something.  I have a very strong belief in Christ and I believe that everything is part of God’s plan.  For example, when I was little I used to ask my Mom why I wasn’t any good at sports.  She said, “I guess because God wants you inside practicing.”  Now, I’m at a school that doesn’t have sports and I’m having a blast just playing music! J 

OBR: What are your plans for the future regarding your music? 

Lindsey: I would like to attend a music conservatory when I finish high school (hopefully Julliard).  After that I plan to pursue a PhD in performance so that I can teach at the University level.  But my first career will be performance. I would love to play with a major metropolitan Orchestra first and then teach.

OBR: Do you have a CD available for purchase?

Lindsey: Not yet, but I am working on an instrumental CD of traditional hymns. There is so little time to record right now – it’s heavy competition season and I still have SO MUCH TO LEARN…. J

To hear some of Lindsey’s music, please go to www.oakbendreview.com

For more information on Dyslexia and Dysgraphia, please visit:

http://www.interdys.org/

http://www.ncld.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=468