Celebrate Abilities with Justin Hines March 12

On Tuesday, March 12 the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and Celebrating Abilities are proud to welcome Canadian singer-songwriter Justin Hines to the Fox Cities stage.

Hines’ latest album, “Days to Recall,” marks his American debut. His music is uplifting and heartfelt, overflowing with natural optimism, although he is no stranger to challenges. 

Hines has Larsen Syndrome, a joint dislocation condition that requires him to permanently use a wheelchair. He jokes, “I’ll never be a guy who relies on choreography,” but his live performances are delivered with honest emotion and a passion for music that shines through every song.

Hines Embodies Celebrating Abilities
Celebrating Abilities is a local Fox Cities nonprofit that raises awareness about the incredible abilities of individuals in the community, regardless of any apparent disability. 

Since 2003, the organization has raised awareness of the contributions people with disabilities make in our community and the people who help make those contributions possible. 

Each year, Celebrating Abilities presents "A-bilities Awards" which recognize the individuals, organizations and businesses who make a positive difference in the way people with disabilities can develop and celebrate their abilities.

This week, watch our Facebook Page
and join us in celebrating abilities! 

Tickets for Justin Hines are $20!

Singer-Songwriter Justin Hines Shines With Natural Optimism

There’s a moment in every artist’s life when he knows that music is not only his path, but his destiny.  

For Canadian singer-songwriter Justin Hines who will perform next month at the Fox Cities P.A.C., his moment of realization came at the most unlikely of places – a Toronto Raptors’ basketball game in his hometown 15 years ago.

A then14-year-old Hines won a vocal competition to sing the National Anthem – both the Canadian and American – at the game and his world opened up before him. “In that moment, it all seemed possible,” he recalls. “The performance eliminated any stage fright.”  Thrown in the deep end, Hines, who has performed professionally ever since, realized he could not only survive, but thrive.

But then again, Hines has thrived all his life against odds that would daunt someone with a less indomitable spirit. Hines has Larsen Syndrome, a joint dislocation condition that confines him to a wheelchair. “The reality is I don’t really look at my situation as that big a deal,” he says. “We all have our things that challenge us, just some people’s are a little more visible in the forefront. Mine is very apparent, whereas others wear it on the inside.”

Hines has performed across the globe, throughout Europe, China, the Middle East and North America. Although he admits his condition has provided challenges, he primarily sees the good it has brought him and the inspiration he can provide others. “There have been so many blessings. It’s afforded me so many other opportunities. It’s a bit of an attention grabber,” he says. “But then my job is to keep people interested and keep their attention with my music.”

That natural optimism permeates much of his American debut, “Days to Recall,” the singer/songwriter’s collection of heartfelt songs about life and love. “I don’t want to pretend that dark times don’t exist, but I have a hard time leaving things negative,” he says. “I think every challenging situation leads to something better. When I’m writing I don’t do it consciously in the songs, it’s just how they evolve.”

The album’s 2011 release coincided with a PBS special of Hines in concert taped at Toronto’s Royal Cinema with special guests Ron Sexsmith, Natalie MacMaster, Donnell Leahy, Sierra Noble and the Canadian Tenors. The special has had over 400 airings across North America to date. Hines also appeared in a CBS Sunday Morning feature, which aired December 18 and received an abundance of positive responses nationwide.

Music has always been a big part of Hines’ life. His parents had a jukebox— well stocked with tunes from the ’60s and ’70s that provided their son with a music education from an early age. “I really listened to such an eclectic mix,” he says. “What I most resonated with was James Taylor. He’s definitely one of my heroes.”

Though Hines doesn’t remember it, his mom tells him he wrote his first song when he was seven. “My grandmother still has the lyrics,” he says. In his late teens, Hines decided to teach himself how to play piano as a way to better express himself,  despite the obstacles Larsen Syndrome provided. “I’d done a lot of writing with other people. The most frustrating thing was I could hear the song in my head, but I was relying on other people to write chords since I didn’t play anything,” he says. “I decided for just about a year to focus on playing piano. I had to figure out my own method of how to make it work. My fingers are unique. Sometimes I use up to seven fingers. For a lot of songs I can get by with three.”

Hines recorded “Days to Recall,” his fourth album overall, during a six month period in Toronto. The first single, lilting, instantly catchy “Tell Me I’m Wrong,” tackles the fears that plague everyone and our desire for reassurance.  The music video for the single was shot in Joplin, Missouri following the devastating 2011 tornado. To support the American Red Cross, the music video displays a community coming together to rebuild, following tragedy. The song climbed to #21 on the Billboard AC Charts and the video has garnered hundreds of thousands of hits.

The second single from the album is “Say What You Will,” an uplifting song that initially appeared on Hines’ second album. The first video released for the song was filmed in Toronto’s Dundas Square and showed everyday people writing personal messages on whiteboards and showing them to the world. The whiteboard concept traveled to South Africa, where a new video was filmed, featuring the Most Rev. Desmond Tutu and was partially filmed at Oprah’s Seven Fountain School. The song took on a life of its own and was used as part of a campaign to refurbish 20 schools in 11 days.  Hines performed in South Africa spring 2011 and saw the schools that will educate more than 22,000 students. “It’s so beyond an honor knowing that a song we did was part of this, that we get to be part of that beauty,” he says. At the time of his visit, the song had hit number one on South African commercial radio.

Following the success of “Tell Me I’m Wrong,” American fans quickly fell in love with “Say What You Will” and began posting their own whiteboard messages online, which inspired a U.S version of the music video to be released. The new video was filmed from the east to west coast and features appearances by athletes, as well as everyday people, each writing their own messages of love and hope. Decca/Universal released the video in February.

“Say What You Will” was also highlighted in concerts across the U.S. recently as The Tenors and National Symphony Orchestra joined Justin to perform it in Boston, Portland, Minnesota, Cerritos and four nights at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

“I get transformed to a different place when I perform. I hope it just makes people feel something,” he says, adding that he especially enjoys singing ballads. “Hopefully, that helps form an intimate connection with the audience. I embrace those moments because it feels like you’re having a unique conversation with people.”

That conversation begins anew with “Days to Recall.”

You can see Justin Hines Wednesday, March 14 at the 

Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in downtown Appleton. 

Tickets are $20.

Biography provided by justinhines.com.

New Hearing Loop Breaks Down Barriers to the Arts

At an evening ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center unveiled a newly installed telecoil, or T-coil, compatible hearing loop in Thrivent Financial Hall, making it the first Broadway presenting theater in Wisconsin to offer the latest hearing loop technology. 

A group of donors and accessibility advocates attended the event which offered the Center an opportunity to celebrate this latest improvement. Susan Stockton, president of the Fox Cities P.A.C., expressed appreciation for a surge of local support saying, “The Center’s accessibility services committee identified a need for a T-coil hearing loop, but it took a community effort for this project to take shape. So many local hearing care professionals have supported this initiative. I continue to be amazed by the generous support of our community, and we are thrilled to have this service available for the Center’s 10th Anniversary Season.”

So what does a new hearing loop mean for theatergoers with hearing loss? T-coil compatible hearing loops work with an individual’s hearing aids to create a fuller live performance experience.

“Imagine going to the theater and not being able to understand the dialogue,” said Dr. Juliëtte Sterkens, a local audiologist with Fox Valley Hearing Center, Inc. and the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) hearing loop advocate. Sterkens has been involved with the Center’s accessibility committee since 2009 and played a key role in raising awareness of the T-coil hearing loop system and its potential to aid theatergoers with hearing loss. 

“A common misconception," said Sterkens, "is that hearing aids restore normal hearing. Yes, hearing aids have greatly improved in the last decade, but they simply cannot overcome typical distances involved in theaters such as the Fox Cities P.A.C.” Sterkens explained that often, with hearing aids alone, sound becomes unclear in larger venues where speakers may be placed at a distance or the surroundings are noisy.

On Friday, August 17 and Saturday, August 18, the public is invited to test the Center’s new T-coil compatible hearing loop during a free 10th Anniversary Open House. The Center will offer a presentation on Friday at 4:00 p.m. in the Kimberly-Clark Theater which is also fitted with a T-coil compatible hearing loop. Festivities will include live entertainment, backstage tours, theater workshops and activities for all ages. A full schedule of events, including a Founders’ Panel discussion on Friday in Thrivent Financial Hall and a MAMMA MIA! Community Flash Mob on Saturday, can be found at foxcitiespac.com/ten.

The new T-coil hearing loop replaces the Center’s infrared listening system.Visitors in need of hearing assistance or whose hearing instruments are not T-coil equipped may check out complimentary lightweight headsets for hearing amplification at the Center’s  information desk. Ticket agents are also available to answer questions about the Center’s hearing loop during regular business hours, in person at the Center’s ticket office or by phone at (920) 730-3760.

To learn more about the Center's new T-coil compatible hearing loop and other accessibility services, visit foxcitiespac.com.

Making It Easier to Access the Arts

Earlier this month, the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center was presented with the Celebrating Abilities Award for Organizational Excellence. It was an honor to be recognized, and it shows what an impact the Center’s accessibility committee is making. 

In just the last year, the committee has overseen the installation of hearing loop capabilities in the Center’s Kimberly-Clark Theater and ticket office lobby to assist patrons who are hard of hearing. It’s also played a pivotal role in continuing the Center’s open captioning services with a grant fromOctoberfest.

The Fox Cities P.A.C. is not alone in striving to make the arts accessible to all. The Theatre Development Fund works with theaters in New York and throughout the country to promote awareness and action. Just check out their latest work to make Disney’s The Lion King accessible to autistic children and their families.

The Center offers a variety of services to ensure the arts are accessible for all. From accessible seating on all levels and at all prices points to complimentary valet parking for patrons displaying a valid disabled license plate or tag, and American Sign Language interpretation upon request, the arts are becoming more accessible every day.

For more information and a full list of access services offered by the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, visit foxcitiespac.com or speak with a ticket agent at (920) 730-3760.