Disabled local musician plays capitol, raises awareness

Sat, May 17 2008

— Hundreds of disabled Oklahomans converged on the state Capitol for the 14th annual People with Disabilities Awareness Day, and a local musician was there to entertain them.
Sarah Getto, an award-winning singer and songwriter and former Department of Rehabilitation Services client, performed for the audience.
Sarah has been totally blind since birth and was born with a severe cleft palate.
At the age of three, Sarah began teaching herself piano, followed by the violin at age 10. She also plays guitar, bass, and the autoharp. She started composing in her early teens. She writes music in many styles including Country, Pop, Adult Contemporary, Classicaland Christian.
Sarah grew up in Norman, where she attended public schools, sang in the choir and played violin in the orchestra. She graduated with a 4.0 grade point average and then graduated Suma Cum Laude in Dec. 2007 from Southwestern State University with her bachelor's in Music Education.
Rhonda Laws, public information officer for DRS, said the department helped Sarah through college by providing specialized equipment and working with university to ensure classroom accessibility.
Currently on tour and booked in several states, some of Sarah's highlights include placing third in Billboard Magazine's International Songwriting Contest in 2006. She has also performed with the Oak Ridge Boys for over an audience of 30 thousand and has won first place at the National Association of Teachers of Singers Competition.
"Sarah was inspired by music educators all of her life and wants to pass some of that inspiration on," Laws said, "and while she plans on doing that later with her students, no doubt she will also be a special inspiration this Wednesday for two other groups of talented high school students also performing at the event - the Oklahoma School for the Blind Jazz Band and the Oklahoma School for the Deaf Performing Arts Company."
Linda Parker, director of the state Department of Rehabilitation Services, said Wednesday's event brings people with disabilities into contact with state lawmakers.
Parker said personal meetings offer disabled people a chance to educate members of the state House and Senate about critical disability related issues from their own perspectives.
The event included exhibits from more than 30 programs and organizations that work with the disabled.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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