Disability History and Awareness Month: The “Spirit of Goodwill” band plays for the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2008

Disability History and Awareness Month: The “Spirit of Goodwill” band plays for the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2008

"The Spirit of Goodwill" band was originally created in 1981 at Goodwill South Florida to facilitate the improvement of social and recreational skills, community integration, and personal adjustment for people with disabilities. The program was initiated as a group of vocalists only, no instruments, and it became a tradition for the band to sing at the holiday party and at the annual business meeting of Goodwill. In 1996, Javier Peña joined Goodwill as the new music program director. Early on, Mr. Peña recognized the natural talent some of the band members had for playing instruments, and he ran with the idea to develop their talents.

 After a lengthy process, fed by determination by Mr. Peña and by the musicians themselves, the band evolved into a talented group of musicians with disabilities, gifted in a repertoire of diverse music styles. In 1998, the band performed at the annual talent show held by the City of Miami Parks and Recreation Program for Persons with Disabilities. This was their first public performance, and they were awarded First Prize.

In 2008, “The Spirit of Goodwill” band had achieved such recognition that it was invited to perform at the U.S Conference of Mayors, playing to an audience of about 440 mayors along with family and friends. The band opened with “For Once in My Life” by Stevie Wonder; at the end, the entire audience stood in roaring applause and cheers. The band continued with “I Feel Good,” a lively song by James Brown that had the entire audience dancing in their seats, and other musical selections from various genres.

PBS aired a documentary on the band, its performance at the conference, and the profoundly positive effect it has had on the band members, as well as on the audiences who hear their music and know the story of the band. Goodwill South Florida won the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities’ Barbara Jordan Media Award in 2011 for the TV Documentary category. The DVD of the documentary and the music from “The Spirit of Goodwill” band is available for purchase from the Goodwill South Florida website at http://www.goodwillsouthflorida.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=eCommerceCatalog.products&productGroup_id=6&

Sources:

• Goodwill South Florida: http://www.goodwillsouthflorida.org/TheSpiritofGoodwillBandGoodwill
• Industries South Florida correspondence: http://cache.trustedpartner.com/docs/library/GoodwillIndustriesSouthFlorida2009/Content/BandUpdate.pdf
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS): http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/for-once-in-my-life/

October is Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month in Texas.  Each workday in October 2012, the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities will post a daily Disability History Fact highlighting the accomplishments of people with disabilities or important dates and events related to the history of people with disabilities. These daily history facts will be presented to celebrate “Persons with Disabilities History and Awareness Month” in Texas.  Learn more about disability history: http://governor.state.tx.us/disabilities/resources/disability_history/