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All Music Guide:
Legally blind Christian musician Ken Medema's passion for music began at the tender age of five while playing on his mother's piano. Born in Grand Rapids Michigan in 1942, he grew up during a time when blindness was not widely accepted. Children shunned the young Medema for being different, and he spent much of his childhood alone seeking solace in music.
Medema started professional musical instruction when he was eight. Through the careful instruction of his teacher, young Medema was able to use Braille music sheets and his memory to learn the classics. He was encouraged to be innovative with his music style and his musical talent flourished. In 1969 Medema received a Master's Degree in Music Therapy from Michigan State University.
Medema began recording albums for Word and Shawnee Press in 1973, and in 1985 founded an independent recording company in Grandville Michigan. He called his new company Bier Patch Music.
By 2002 Medema had produced several albums, and presented thousands of piano and voice performances all over North America, Australia, Africa and Europe.
Wikipedia:
Ken Medema (born December 7, 1943 as Kenneth Peter Medema in Grand Rapids, Michigan) is a composer–singer–songwriter who has been performing in the United States, Canada, and Europe for more than thirty years.
Ken Medema was born almost blind; his eyes let him tell light from shadow and look at outlines of major objects. He began playing the piano when he was five years old, and three years later began taking lessons in classical music through braille music, playing by ear and improvising in different styles.
In 1969, he majored in music therapy at Michigan State University in Lansing, studying both piano and voice. Afterwards he worked as a music therapist in Fort Wayne, Indiana and later at Essex County Hospital in New Jersey.
In 1973, he began performing and recording his own songs. His lyrics generally provide social commentary on themes such as justice, hunger, poverty, homelessness, and Christian charity as it pertains to them. He has published a total of 26 albums, the first of which he recorded for Word and Shawnee Press, and then went on to found Brier Patch Music in 1985. Through Brier Patch Music he organizes and schedules his events, as well as publishes his music.
Performances regularly include songs improvised both musically and lyrically by accepting audience recommendations, sermon topics, or guest speaker stories as their basis. He performs in national and worldwide (church) congregations, campuses, youth gatherings, and annual assemblies. He lives in San Francisco, California.