Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Student Plays Cello For All


By Jon Graham
Raider Shakedown Reporter

            MURFREESBORO, Tenn.—Any given day of the week, the sound of a cello can be heard resonating in between the buildings on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.
            Chance Dickenson, the young talent behind this music, may not be known by name, but any Middle Tennessee State University Student would recognize him as the “Cello Guy”. He sits down with his cello and plays out in the quad in front of the James Walker Library, John Bragg Mass Communication building and the Business and Aerospace building.
            Chance, a student of MTSU himself, enjoys playing his cello whenever he gets the opportunity. Having played for more than eight years, he is quite skilled and is a pleasure to listen to. All passerbys appreciate the melodic tunes as they walk in between classes.
            What people may not notice is that Chance is legally blind. Most people view this as an inability, but with it he carries a drive and passion for his music that most artists wish for. “It’s almost a real blessing,”  he said. Chance has faced partial blindness since birth. He discovered his passion for the cello early on as a teenager, and it helped him to combat the condition of his sight. Ever since then, he has trained and pushed himself for his art.
            Whether people notice he is blind or not, they can’t help but turn their heads at the sound. They are all curious and interested in his music. He plays a various set of works, from classical music to contemporary works featured in known films like “Pirates of the Caribbean or Master and Commander”.
            “When I’m walking by, if I hear that music, I always have to stop and listen for a minute,” said MTSU student Cameron Arnold. “It’s just you don’t usually hear music like that on a college campus.”
            It is a real blessing having such a talent sharing his music with others so freely amidst all of the stress and chaos of college.
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