One handed maestro (From Harwich and Manningtree Standard)

One handed maestro

10:00am Wednesday 15th April 2009

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AN INSPIRATIONAL young woman who has overcome her disability by gaining a string of qualifications, is now realising a childhood dream by learning to play the piano.

Catherine Turner, 28, from Ewer Court, Colchester, began learning to play the piano at the age of 13 but was forced to give up after an undiagnosed illness began to affect the use of her left hand.

Born with impaired vision, Catherine began to suffer from paralysis in her feet at the age of 11.

The mysterious illness, which doctors have never been able to diagnose, began to affect her whole body, including her legs and left hand, leaving her wheelchair bound and reliant on braille and audio cassettes to help her read and write.

Determined not to let her disability stand in her way, she went on to study Philosophy and History at Essex University and then gained a masters degree in Computer Studies.

With the help of a computer which reads out text and braille, Catherine works as a proof reader and is a co-ordinator for disabled access at Colchester and Ipswich Museum.

Now, thanks to a musician in America, Catherine has began to learn to play the piano, finally taking up the hobby she dreamt about as a young teenager.

Miss Turner said: “I’ve wanted to learn to play for ages.

“I had some lessons when I was 13, but I had to give it up because I was ill and I lost the use of one of my hands.

“I just thought there was no way I could ever learn after that so I gave it up.”

However, Miss Turner stumbled upon the website of Mark Miller, a music teacher based in Chicago, who teaches piano to one-handed students.

Through a series of telephone conversations, he was able to teach Miss Turner a range of specially composed pieces written for the one-handed pianists.

Mr Miller has written more than 50 one-handed arrangements, including popular jazz classics, such as Misty and the Nearness of You, as well as Christmas songs and some classical pieces, like Moonlight Sonata.

Mr Miller said: “I write arrangements for one-hand that sound as full as a two-handed arrangement by mixing the chords together with the melody.

“It is really exciting because I am able to bring the experience of learning music to people who would otherwise be excluded.”

Catherine, who also sings in a Colchester choir, is now able to play Lean on Me and Autumn Leaves.

She said: “It is brilliant and I feel it has really opened things up for me. I have always loved music and I think it is really important to me so it is great to be able to play.

“It is such a good feeling to make progress in something I have wanted to do for ages and it has given me so much confidence to know I can do it.”

For more information on Mr Miller’s one-handed arrangements, visit www.pianoweb.com

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