For five years, country singer Nick Tayler and lyricist Henry Evans have written songs together without ever being in the same room. That changes Thursday, Oct. 15, when the two meet face to face for the first time and perform at West Valley College in Saratoga.
West Valley and the College of Adaptive Arts are staging two free concerts, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., at the campus's Kirkorian Pavilion. The program, billed as "2 Voices. 2 Visions. One Unforgettable Experience," marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which is observed in October.
A partnership built on eye-tracking
Evans is quadriplegic and does not speak. He composes lyrics one letter at a time using eye-tracking technology, according to the college. Tayler then sets the words to music.
Tayler is traveling from Florida for the shows. According to the college, he has been deaf in one ear since birth and was raised in Nashville on bluegrass, gospel and country. His storytelling songs touch on faith, family, heartbreak and healing.
The concerts will also pair two other performers: Audrey Walker, a West Valley student who sings professionally, and Nathalie Montes de Oca, a music student at the College of Adaptive Arts who performs in sign language.