Los Angeles based Cityzen, has a message, and Tobias Forrest won’t let you forget it. Disaboom has a great feature article with the quadriplegic frontman of this talented and charismatic band. Check it out!

“I’m very passionate about not showing the world people with disabilities but instead showing people with disabilities the world. We all have the potential to be beautiful, wonderful and talented people,” singer Tobias Forrest says, “I just want to sing.”

And, sing he does. Forrest is the lead singer of the band Cityzen in Los Angeles.

The band offers a great sound and is building a following in clubs and on http://www.myspace.com/CITYZENLA.

“I started the group with Jeff Line. We played in a band in college before my accident. I was almost 23 when I became a C5 quadriplegic. It was May 1998 and I was diving off a waterfall in the Grand Canyon. It was the time of El Niño and the water level was lower. I was told it was safe to dive there, but it was too shallow. I did a little drowning, I did a little dying, but I said Heaven can wait,” Forrest explains with a laugh. “I didn’t lose my sense of humor.”

Cityzen’s tour schedule and music can be found at their mySpace page. Mad talent.

Music and pets have long been known to provide solace and inspiration to those facing daily challenges in living. Chamber Music Today has posted an article about assistive technologies available to elderly and disabled people which aid them to continue their musical inclinations and activities.

The piano bench or chair that is the destination for the ‘to’ transfer is another issue altogether. Most benches or chairs have a poor center-of-gravity and are too prone to tipping over. A local machine shop or cabinetry maker can be engaged to make different legs for your mother’s favorite piano bench or chair, to attach ballast weights at floor level (say, 5 kg steel or lead weight per leg) with ‘block’ feet 10 cm square or more so that the chair will not tip. You may want to have a ‘grab bar’ added to an existing bench that you have, so that there is an obvious and reliable grip for your mom to aim for as the transfer proceeds. (Grabbing the piano around the keyboard is obviously not safe or reliable.)

See website for details.

When you hear about a musical group that has been approached by filmmakers and television executives, has a new custom tour bus and a tour schedule so full they have to turn gigs away, Bon Jovi or Aerosmith might come to mind. However the band that’s getting all this attention is FLAME, a group from upstate New York, made up of people with developmental and physical disabilities, including paralysis, autism, Down’s syndrome, mental retardation and blindness. For the band from Lexington Center, Fulton County Chapter, NYSARC, Inc., their fame is growing fast but their message remains the same.

FLAME: Living In Harmony

Tim Fiori
4/1/2008
Lexington Center
465 N Perry St.
Johnstown, NY 12095
Tel: 518 736 3931

When you hear about a musical group that has been approached by filmmakers and television executives, has a new custom tour bus and a tour schedule so full they have to turn gigs away, Bon Jovi or Aerosmith might come to mind. However the band that’s getting all this attention is FLAME, a group from upstate New York, made up of people with developmental and physical disabilities, including paralysis, autism, Down’s syndrome, mental retardation and blindness. For the band from Lexington Center, Fulton County Chapter, NYSARC, Inc., their fame is growing fast but their message remains the same.

FLAME wants to change the world through music. They are a phenomenon that inspires and changes the way the general public view people with disabilities by making their overwhelming abilities the focus. People of all ages and backgrounds connect with this special band, especially children and those who have a disability. The steady fan mail tells the story of changed attitudes and changed lives. The feedback from parents of children with disabilities is probably the most overwhelming. They are often overcome with emotion watching FLAME, as it gives them hope that their child can have a fun, fulfilling life and achieve great things.

FLAME began in 2003 from a recreation program at Lexington, a not-for-profit agency serving people with developmental disabilities. The plan was to have the band play at the agency and around town. However the profound effect they have on their audiences made it impossible to keep FLAME within the confines of Fulton County. Word spread and requests for hire began pouring in and FLAME now averages over 90 paid performances per year, with concerts all over the Northeast. Their song list contains over 100 classic standard rock, country and blues songs from the past five decades.

In addition to the various mental challenges of the members, several of them live with physical disabilities. The drummer/vocalist, David LaGrange, is blind and mentally challenged. He walks with a cane and although he needs to be led to his drum set and seated before each performance, he needs no help once the band starts playing. He knows the location of each drum and cymbal and has an amazing talent to play and create harmonies for any song. Nick Robinson, the bass player and only member not born with his disability, uses a wheelchair after a severe illness left him paralyzed from the legs down. He also had to re-learn to play the bass, re-training his brain how to make his fingers move properly. Falon McBride, a vocalist/percussionist, has severe hip dysphasia and walks with a crutch. Scott Stuart, vocalist/bongo player, has cerebral palsy and is blind. He uses a wheelchair and needs a lift to transport him on the bus and into hotel beds when the band is on the road.

The band’s disabilities seem to fade away when they hit the stage and not long into the first song the audience does not see a band of people with limitations, they see a talented rock band creating great music. In fact Metroland Magazine named Flame the “Best Cover Band” in the New York State capital region for 2007. The popular publication said the band won this award because…”they are a great band, period.”
In contrast to the dismal, sometimes horrific, institutions where many people like the members of Flame are placed, these talented individuals are living in harmony within the community, succeeding and changing the perceptions of the general public. The band members have overcome many obstacles to meet the challenges of a non-stop traveling band. Touring is grueling for any band, yet despite their severe physical limitations Flame just enjoys performing their music for their fans. The band travels with five direct care staff workers to handle their special needs and has a full time management staff. Fundraising made it possible to purchase a customized tour bus, complete with a wheelchair lift, wheelchair accessible bathroom, hoyer lift, and customized seats. The kitchenette and TV/media system help them pass the time as they travel over 10,000 miles per year.

Projects like recording an album in a recording studio also requires creative thinking to accommodate a band living in a world set up for people without disabilities. White Lake Studios, where they recorded their first two CDs, responded with ramps, a flexible schedule, and video conferencing throughout several different rooms to make it possible to record.

FLAME has made the transition from a local band to a regional act in high demand and now has their sights set on national fame. With two strong selling CDs and full tour schedule, FLAME is beginning to get the attention of the national entertainment industry. In addition to looking into film documentary opportunities, a production company has approached FLAME with interest in developing a national concert event to create awareness for disabilities.

As FLAME continues their quest to change the world, their following of adoring fans continues to grow. If you would like more information or would like to book FLAME please go to the website www.flametheband.com or contact Tim Fiori at Lexington Center at 518-736-3931. We are always looking to open new doors for Flame. If you know of any opportunities that could help Flame continue to change the world please contact us. You can order their CDs “All For A Reason”, a collection of cover songs and their “Holiday Classics” CD, online at www.flametheband.com, or by calling Lexington.

Check out the new video clip of Flame in concert on You Tube:

Check out Flame live at an upcoming show that is open to the public:

4/13/08 – Amsterdam, NY

5/23/08 – Flame’s Annual Concert at the Glove Theatre, Gloversville, NY

See the website for times and details.