Music, arts unlock opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities

From the center of a stage at The Austin Harmony Project Inc.'s office, the confident voice of 45-year-old Tobin Merritt carries as he croons the Hank Williams song "Kaw-Liga" into a microphone. Merritt leans forward, makes eye contact, and tells the story in a loud, clear voice with a hint of Hank's signature twang.

Onstage with Merritt, more vocalists sway and clap along to the music, and TAHP Founder and Executive Director Tressie Seegers backs the singers with a driving, rhythmic accompaniment on the piano.

At the song's conclusion, everyone listening to the rehearsal applauds.

Seegers helps Merritt down the steps of the stage as he makes his way to his walker. Seegers says Merritt, who has cerebral palsy, recently auditioned to sing the national anthem before a Round Rock Express minor-league baseball game.

"What'd you think?" he asks.

"I think that was amazing,"she replies.

It is moments such as this that TAHP aims to offer through its art and music programs to enrich the lives of adults with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism.

Participants can learn various art forms including painting, collaging, mosaics and printmaking in addition to singing and playing instruments. Students can also join the Sweet Harmony band, an ensemble that performs shows throughout Austin.

Seegers says the goals of the organization are to help participants realize their talents, modify negative behaviors and increase self-esteem.

The nonprofit organization is developing a new program, Harmony Books, which sells donated books online and uses the funding to provide jobs for TAHP participants.

Seegers says employees will help run the book-selling program, receive job training and perform tasks such as copying ISBN numbers of donated books.

"We are hoping they will attain these job training skills that would help them in other job areas, too," she says.

In 2004, Seegers started working with a life skills class at a school in Tyler that served high school–age students with developmental disabilities. When she incorporated art and music into lessons, she noticed that their behavior improved.

About three years later, she moved to Austin and worked as a teacher assistant for a life skills class at Akins High School. During summer 2009, Seegers launched a summer camp serving students with developmental disabilities.

"It just kind of grew from there," she says. TAHP launched in 2009. The group employs four staff and seeks volunteers to help organize events.

Chrislyn Lawrence, volunteer board member and grant writer, says that for her, working with TAHP is not only about helping others, but also about the feeling of connecting with others through the arts.

"People can't contain their joy, even though they're maybe not around people with disabilities that often and they're not really sure how to bridge that gap," she says. "When they're up there performing and singing ... all those kind of invisible social boundaries between you and me and them go away."

What does 'developmental disability' mean?

A developmental disability is a severe, chronic disability that begins before a person reaches age 22 and is likely to continue throughout his or her life, according to the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities.

The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 states that these disabilities often result in substantial functional limitations in the following areas:

• Self-care
• Receptive and expressive language
• Learning
• Mobility
• Self-direction
• Capacity for independent living
• Economic self-sufficiency

The act was created to improve service systems for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Source: Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities

Funding The Austin Harmony Project Inc.

Tressie Seegers, founder and executive director of The Austin Harmony Project Inc., says it costs an estimated $15,000 per month to run the nonprofit organization.

Students pay tuition of $25 per day to participate in the programming, which takes place 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday–Friday.

That tuition, along with grants and donations, fund the nonprofit, and TAHP's programs are covered by the Home and Community Services state waiver program. TAHP holds quarterly fundraisers to increase awareness of its efforts and gain funds to support overhead.

At its next event April 21, the Sweet Harmony band is scheduled to perform at 1806 W. Stassney Lane with Country Music Award–winning singer-songwriter Susan Gibson.

More information is available at www.theaustinharmonyproject.org.

1806 W. Stassney Lane, Stes. 105 and 106, 512-394-5394, www.theaustinharmonyproject.org