Pittsburgh Pirates to Host Teenage Musical Artist Without a Voice:
Technology Brings the Gift of Speech to a Voiceless Teen with a Gifted Mind.

July 18, 2005

Bright, beautiful and talented, nineteen-year-old Sara Pyszka has the use of her mind and senses, but not that of her limbs or voice due to cerebral palsy which she has had since birth. Despite her challenges, the spunky writer, composer, lyricist, performer, makes music that caresses her listeners' ears and inspires many to take notice of gifts they usually take for granted.

Sara makes her way through the world from the seat of her motorized wheelchair, creates songs and stories from the depths of her exceptional mind, and expresses her thoughts with a DynaVox speech generator. She began performing before large audiences around Pittsburgh about three years ago.

In 2003 she sang with conductor Lucas Richman and the Pittsburgh Symphony Youth Orchestra. Last July, she sang the National Anthem before a Cleveland Indians game. In New York, last September, she led the Republican National Convention in the Pledge of Allegiance. A few months later in Washington, she danced in her wheelchair at the Inaugural Ball. In June she graduated from Bethel Perk High School, with plans to attend Wright State University in the fall.

And on July 19, in celebration of Disabilities Awareness Night, she will sing The Star Spangled Banner at Pittsburgh's PNC Park before a Pirates/Astros double header.

Sara's DynaVox not only turns her verbal thoughts into audible language, but also allows her to turn her musical thoughts into song -- scale, pitch, melody, tempo, style, lyrics and all. Beginning in August, she will begin work on a degree in journalism at Wright State University in Ohio. Given her past accomplishments, it's hard to imagine her not enjoying amazing success.