WEBVTT

00:01.466 --> 00:03.633 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
JUDY WOODRUFF: And now to the
story of a song called "Spaces."

00:03.633 --> 00:07.533 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
It's one made by and for
the disabled community.

00:07.533 --> 00:11.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
While the song highlights
a disease known as
spinal muscular atrophy,

00:11.866 --> 00:16.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
or SMA, it also celebrates
the talent of the much
broader disability community.

00:18.300 --> 00:20.333 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
It's part of our arts and
culture series, Canvas.

00:20.333 --> 00:25.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
JAMES IAN, Singer & Songwriter,
"Spaces": I have spinal muscular
atrophy Type 3. It pretty

00:27.033 --> 00:31.266 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
much affects all of the
physical aspects of my life.
Spinal muscular atrophy is a

00:33.833 --> 00:37.433 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
neurodegenerative muscular
condition that affects
your muscles and weakens
your muscles over time.

00:43.566 --> 00:48.533 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
My name is James Ian. I'm the
singer of the song "Spaces."

00:51.000 --> 00:54.233 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80%
I also wrote "Spaces"
along with Barry Weeks, Tom
Rowland, and other members
of the SMA community.

00:56.700 --> 01:00.100 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
"Spaces" is a song created
by the SMA community

01:01.433 --> 01:03.633 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
for people with disabilities,
for the SMA community.

01:10.833 --> 01:14.166 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
I started out playing piano,
always have been a singer.

01:14.166 --> 01:17.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
And then I just started
picking up other
instruments as I got older.

01:17.933 --> 01:22.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
SMA does make playing
instruments more
difficult due to fatigue,

01:22.100 --> 01:25.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
so I have to be smart
about how to conserve
energy and work with SMA.

01:36.166 --> 01:40.366 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
DOMINICK EVANS: I was interested
in the concept of spaces.

01:40.366 --> 01:42.366 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
You, James, came
up with that one?

01:42.366 --> 01:44.466 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70%
JAMES IAN: Yes, the
thought for that one...

01:44.466 --> 01:48.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
Having that brainstorm with
the SMA community and having
our voices really be heard and

01:50.933 --> 01:54.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
be the ones that created this
thing, I don't think that's
been done before. We often don't

01:57.733 --> 02:02.700 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70%
think that we're seen or
considered or heard, and
people kind of just look
over us or look past us.

02:04.133 --> 02:05.700 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
And so we really, really
wanted to be seen. And so

02:07.600 --> 02:10.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
"Spaces" is about that.
It's like, we have
disabilities, we have SMA,

02:10.033 --> 02:14.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
but we're out here in the
world, like, doing really,
really cool, amazing things.

02:14.333 --> 02:19.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
I teared up when I saw those
photos come to life, because
they were just so spectacular.

02:19.300 --> 02:24.300 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
Dominick Evans was the
director and came up with the
concept for the music video.

02:26.333 --> 02:30.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
Dominick was directing from home
via iPad. And then Zach Merck
was the director on the ground.

02:32.900 --> 02:37.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
It was really cool that, even
though Dominick couldn't be
there in the room with us,

02:37.366 --> 02:42.366 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
that everyone made sure
Dominick was like the guiding
voice and very, very included.

02:44.300 --> 02:48.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
I hope this also shows that
you can do projects with
people with disabilities from

02:51.400 --> 02:55.166 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
inception to finalized
product. They can create it,

02:55.166 --> 03:00.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
they can write it, they can sing
it, they can act in it, they can
model in the project, and they

03:02.200 --> 03:05.166 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
can be amazing projects that
the whole world will love and
can see and want to emulate.

03:06.266 --> 03:11.266 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60%
JUDY WOODRUFF: I

03:13.233 --> 03:16.500 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
really love that. What a
wonderful piece of music.

03:16.500 --> 03:20.900 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70%
And the song, sponsored
by pharmaceutical
company Genentech, was

03:20.900 --> 03:25.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80%
just released and can
be found online at
smamyway.com and on YouTube.