May my own
achievements give
you the strength to keep trying.
For once you say you "Can't", you have ended all future possibilities.
If you never fall down,
You can't get back up and
Move forward.
I can still remember how awkward I felt when I got the award. Back in 1989, I basically got told it was impossible to program speech software to sing. So for the next 5 years I studied both music and linguistics. In 1995 when I became known as a synthetic singer, I wasn't ready for what happened next. I made it on the news, I started getting invited to do concerts and speaking engagements, and it was a wild ride.
The sad reality is, society has not changed much over the years. People still have low expectations for the disabled. But still, I think I have raised the bar by being the first synthetic singer. I hope people follow in my footsteps.
Spirit of da Vinci Award SGT Rob Brown, 2014
Jeremy Campbell, 2013
Cody Uhser, 2013
Cheryl Agelelli, 2010
Professor Hugh Herr, 2008
Dana Bowman, 2007
Rudy Garcia-Tolson, 2006
Snoopi Botten, 2005
James R. Harding ll Ed D., 2004 Ralf Hotchkiss, 2003
