Daring Greatly

...... by Bill Hudson. 

On Friday evening, May 2, 2025, a young woman entered the arena of music and “realized the triumph of high achievement while daring greatly.” For all who witnessed, she demonstrated what can be accomplished if we reject excuses and devote ourselves to a worthy cause. That young woman is my 21-year-old granddaughter, Taylor Cox, who was born without eyes, a rare condition known medically as “anophthalmia.” Despite all her challenges, Taylor accepts no limitations in pursuing her goals of becoming a “music therapist.”

To better understand Taylor, first close your eyes for only a minute and perform some menial daily task such as dressing, eating, or simply walking to the next room. Now, try to imagine being blind and learning to play the piano. Most of us read sheet music as we play with both hands ….. Taylor must first feel Braille music, then memorize the order of notes, then repeatedly play those notes to eventually commit the entire song to muscle memory.

To appreciate the magnitude of last Friday evening, picture Taylor now sitting alone at the Recital Hall grand piano in front of a large audience of family, friends, classmates, and professors as she gave a 1-hour solo piano performance to conclude her studies at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. Her program included:

Prelude and Fugue No. 2 ……..... J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Sonata in A ……………………….. W.A. Mozart (1756-1792)

I.     Andante grazioso – Theme & Variations

II.   Menuetto

III. Rondo alla turca – Allegretto

Scherzo in C ………………………. C. Schumann (1819-1896)

Sonata in D for Four Hands …..… W.A. Mozart

1.     Allegro (with Dina Vu)

“Die Mainacht” Op 43 No. 2 …..... J. Brahms (1833-1897)

           Text by L. Holty (1748-1776) with Kayden Begg, baritone

“Can-Can” from Orpheus in the Underworld …..J. Offenbach (1819-1880)

            Arr. By P. Keveren (b 1961) with Beth Syverson pianist

Toccata ………………………….….. A. Khachaturian (1901-1978)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Ellie and I sat in wonder next to our daughter Kim, Taylor’s mom, during the performance. And we all broke down in tears of pride and joy as Taylor concluded with Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

I could not stop thinking about Taylor after that show. I don’t believe any of us comprehend how difficult life is for her. And I’ll bet she doesn’t realize how comparatively easy it is for us. Perhaps if we gave as much effort to life as Taylor does, the world would be far better. I know she practiced 2 to 4 hours a day for weeks before that performance. And we’ve seen her unique challenges with public transportation or school subjects like geometry where she must visualize the problem before solving it. But despite it all, Taylor loves God and family and has an amazing sense of humor with no resentment. She truly appreciates life, her friends, and instructors …particularly Teresa de Jong-Pombo and Beth Syverson.

Taylor never gives in to frustration. She continues to plow through obstacles setting an example of staying the course and achieving goals. Last summer she attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. She will next be attending Biola University in La Mirada, California to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Therapy. She will then use her talents to help others.

Thank you, Taylor for a night of inspiration. I love you.

* * * * *

I’ve previously written about Taylor, at age 13, in my April 2017 Newsletter: “Fulfilling Life’s Purpose."

More 4-hour Paintings

Last month, I discussed the challenge to complete a 14" x 10" painting within 4 hours. I enjoyed the exercise and painted three more last week after returning from a Florida vacation. A friend wanted to purchase my first painting, but upon seeing the others, changed her mind and purchased the second image.

With that encouragement, I've decided to continue the series with each image labeled 4HP-1, -2, -3, etc. I'll be asking $400 for each completed 4-hour painting, as is, unframed.