SPEECH TOPICS
I Am, Therefore I Will: A Personal Story of Resiliency, Will, and the Transformative Powers of Music
Epileptic seizures began for Curtis at age three; music training began at age five. Music performance and intractable epilepsy then co-existed in her system for over thirty years until her right hippocampus, amygdala, and temporal lobe were removed in four brain surgeries. She is, today, a concert violinist without seizures. In this multi-media presentation, Curtis uses words, video-tapes of her seizures, scans of her own brain, and performances of the music that kept her spirit driving forward all these years. While impaired consciousness (seizure) cancels the intent of the self, unimpaired consciousness delivers the power of the self. As Curtis demonstrates, it is the perception of this power that gives rise to the will, and it is access to passion that drives it.