Project
(Yes, this is the actual American Sign Language (ASL) for letters in Janey!)
What is Project Janey?
Project Janey is a future collection of double-fundraising events and shows for AGBell and another designated charity where the deaf and hard of hearing community are introduced into the world of original live music. Right now, project plans of Project Janey have been developed and finalized. Janey is waiting for the perfect time, resources and place for Project Janey to become a reality for the deaf community she holds dear. Eventually, Project Janey through Pawz for Music/Bluzkat will be expanded to teach the world of music to the deaf community of all ages.
The 3 major GOALS of Project Janey are: Who is Janey?
"Janey” at Age 2 with her first
hearing aid
"Janey” was raised in a family of gifted musicians and composers but alas, she born profoundly deaf. However, she has been miraculously given the gift to hear after many years of Auditory-Verbal therapy and a lifetime of powerful hearing aids. She was never taught sign language or went to a deaf school and learned speech on her own over time by just listening to the world around her. After experiencing the harsh realities as a little deaf girl in a hearing world at age 9, Janey knew EXACTLY what her purpose in life was but she had to first HAD to grow to become a successful woman so that she can someday be a dream for others. Even so at a young age of 9, Janey figured her purpose in life was (and still is today) to:
Provide inspiration and hope to parents of deaf children empowering their children to become functional adults in today's hearing world by writing an autobiography, being an advocate and being a motivational public speaker.
Today 30+ years later, Janey is now fulfilling her dream. Janey wants to share her dream with others.
History of Project Janey
Janey has been a music lover all her life but it wasn't until in the 1980s she heard first song on the radio and on TV music video. That song was Michael McDonald's
"I Keep Forgettin". Every since, she has been hooked to the world of music outside of her family's traditional band and classical music genre. Sadly as much Janey loves music, she is rarely able to go to amplified concerts with her friends because such performances would drain her hearing aids batteries in 5 minutes. Regardless, she knows REAL music and REAL talents when she hears them. 20 years later, Janey heard Taylor Hicks' music and she knew it was RARE but REAL music. Next, she joined Taylor Hicks' fansites to keep track of his career progression but doing so, she created her own fanbase!!
Taylor Hicks ~ "Hell of A Day" on Good Morning America ~ July 2006
SOURCE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXIdOcAg-RE
Janey never thought she would be profiled in an internet ABCNEWS article on the very morning that Taylor Hicks performed live on Good Morning America (GMA) which happens to be the first time she heard Taylor LIVE. (She thought she would be a one-paragraph wonder - not the whole article!)
Janey with Taylor Hicks' GMA video on her ipod
As a result many in Janey's fanbase started grassroots efforts to create the possibility of a private concert from the Taylor Hicks himself for Janey. While Janey was humbled, flattered and honored by such efforts - she was too unselfish to claim the possibility all to herself. So after seeing Taylor Hicks' performance in a live concert, Janey was pleasantly surprised with the marvels of hearing aid and sound equipment technology, she was able to hear the ENTIRE concert for the first time ever losing only a few hearing aid batteries.
This experience became the inspiration for Project Janey.
Keep checking this page as Project Janey develops.
Help Janey share her dream!
