Free concerts highlighting people overcoming physical challenges

No need to pull out the Shazam. This song is called Daisy Jane. It's performed by country music artist Nick Taylor. He's part of a remarkable story that we're about to bring you. The lyrics were written by former Silicon Valley executive Henry Evans. He suffered a stroke and became paralyzed and mute. But now he uses eye-tracking technology to help him write songs word by word, letter by letter. The College of Adaptive Arts in West Valley College in Saratoga hosts this Thursday two free concerts celebrating people overcoming challenges. Joining us now to talk a lot more about that is the director of the College of Adaptive Arts, Nicole Kim, and the performer you just heard, Nick Taylor. He'll sing more of the song in just a moment here, but welcome to both of you. Nick and Nicole, making the names real easy for us today. How are you guys doing today? Pretty good, pretty good. Thank you. We appreciate you being here in the studio. Henry Evans, we just mentioned a moment ago, could not be here this morning, but he recorded these comments to share. Greetings, everyone. My name is Henry Evans, and I am speaking to you from my bed in Palo Alto using my real voice, which has been recreated by AI from old videotapes. Encouraged by my wife and eternal source of inspiration, Jane, and my desire to accomplish something that did not reveal my disabilities, I began writing song lyrics, mostly country songs. So there's been so much talk and conversation about artificial intelligence in these last couple of months, maybe years, how scary it might be, what are the real-world uses for this, but it also helps bring us moments like what we're sharing with you guys, with us in our audience this morning. Can you kind of talk about your relationship with AI in the music world and how you're able to do things like this? You want me to take that one, Nick? Yeah, I mean, AI is fairly new, and only this last couple of years it's come into aspect and learning all the new programs out there like Rock or ChatGPT and how it helps us. AI, it makes things way faster at times and can help you get to your end goal, the conclusion, what you're trying to get to in a way. can learn a lot of things from uh from it or just get information a lot faster sure it's pretty much yeah Nicole can you kind of tell me how you got involved with with these two how did you get their music and how did you discover to know something you wanted to share sure uh so our co-founder uh Deanna Versailles uh got connected with Henry Evans he helped us get technology for the college that was based on the robotics that he uses to speak around the world and they developed a friendship and when Deanna discovered the the relationship that Henry had with Nick you know this opportunity to bring them together came about where it's funded the event we're having this week is funded by a grant by Senator Dave Cortese and it's to help us collaborate with our host college West Valley College and so it was a great time to to bring them together very good and can we talk a little bit more about your your relationship with Henry because from what I understand you didn't know that he was mute and a quadriplegic I did not actually so I met him it was a Craigslist and through emails and it wasn't six months until the relationship that on Facebook message that he had let me know um about this disability did that alter your mind at all did that make you think oh yeah it changed my it changed my world really because um that yeah it changed it changed me and i it definitely changed uh definitely altered it was an impact yeah best way to um to answer that uh it was but you played together and you guys you guys came up with some pretty good stuff so far. So, I mean, now it seems like you're pretty comfortable with each other now. Well, yeah, very comfortable. And what I mean by it changed is just, you know, realizing I couldn't find, it changed me in the way of there's no, you can't find a no, there's no excuses and things. Because what he does and what he shows to me, you know, just the boundaries he can cross. So that's what better adds to that. Yeah. All right. So you've got a demonstration set for us here of the song that we were just hearing a little bit. I understand you've got a good sample that you want to share with us now. Yes, yes. Nick, take it away. Well, I thought for sure I'd be the one to and as time moved on Life took a different path instead of keeping as the healthy one. In the setting sun as my bride till I find and all the years and all the pain's crazy twist. Lovely. I love that southern, like, western country kind of twang, that deep voice you have with it and the guitar. Absolutely beautiful. Absolutely beautiful, man. Nick Taylor, Nicole Kim, we appreciate you both for being here, telling us your stories and sharing the story of Henry as well. We thank you guys. And I want to tell you more about what to look forward to this week. Thursday's free concerts are set for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at West Valley College in Saratoga. It features Nick and Henry as well as singer Audrey Walker and College of Adaptive Arts student and sign language performer Natalie Montez-DeAlca. The concert is called Two Voices, Two Visions, One Unforgettable Experience. You got a taste of it just now. You can also watch the concert on Zoom. More information on the College of Adaptive Arts website. Scroll to the events and updates section. It's a concert. If you have a chance to check it out, you may not want to miss. All right, at 752, both of you, I thank you both for being here. Let's send it over to Sal, who has another look.