HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-07-22, Page 1414 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Shaun Gregory Huron Expositor
Visually impaired Jason Lamont plays the acoustic guitar at his house in Seaforth.
Nothing is holding back this young Seaforth boy
Jason Lamont
enjoys life to the
fullest, he laughs
and said "whenever
the Plumber comes
over and sees me he
always calls me Ray
Charles"
Shaun Gregory
Huron Expositor
As Jason Lamont strums the
acoustic guitar there's no need
to see any musical notes, the
visually impaired Seaforth
teen learns the tune by ear.
Lamont first picked up a gui-
tar a year ago and since then the
15 -year-old has jammed with
some experienced music pals
in Mitchell. To top it off he's also
performed at his grandparent's
50th anniversary and earned
himself some relatively thick
fingers. The musical sores
developing on his fingers are
something that Lamont said
he's proud of.
"I will eventually get cal-
luses and now I know
because I read Braille that
calluses are not going to
affect it," said Lamont.
When Lamont first started
playing the guitar his parents
worried that reading Braille
would be interrupted
because of the constant use
of his fingers with the guitar.
But the way most guitarists
and Lamont twang, the cuti-
cles will harden on the part of
the fingers that is not needed
to feel Braille readings.
Lamont is currently enrolled
at W. Ross Macdonald, which
is a school that specializes in
the teaching of children visu-
ally impaired. The soon to be
Grade 11 student said he is
enjoying the summer break
and is looking forward to jam-
ming with the older guys at the
Random Acts of Music in
Mitchell.
"When I'm playing with a
group, it makes me feel like
I'm part of it, it's not like I'm
just sitting there listening,"
said Lamont.
"I play, if it's something I
can't play, I flip the guitar
over and hit it like a drum:"
Lamont has the music in
his blood, he comes from a
long list of relatives who have
been drawn into music. His
12 -year-old sister plays the
drums and his momdid key-
board. Lamont's grandmother
also was involved in several
different types of instruments
and her grandmother as well.
Like his grandmother,
Lamont is also experiment-
ing with other instruments
other than the guitar. He
owns a keyboard, drum set,
accordion and has his hopes
on a fiddle in the near future.
"It makes me very happy to
watch him pick up instru-
ments and away he goes, said
Jason's mother Tracy Lamont.
Tracy explained that
Lamont has always been a
"little energetic, no limits, he
just always loves to live life to
the extreme."
That limitless mentality was
almost once limited for
Lamont. When Lamont was a
baby he was born almost four
months pre -mature, him and
his twin brother Jacob. Lamont
weighed a small fraction of
what most babies should be
and his twin brother weighed
less. Lamont weighed 1 lbs 8 oz
while his twin was 14 oz. The
delivery did not go smooth for
the two twins. Lamont stayed
in the hospital for 103 days
after birth and his twin passed
away, the day the two were
bom.
"There was a time we
thought he wouldn't make it,
to see him doing all this stuff
that he does is pretty amaz-
ing," said Tracy.
Seaforth Ward councillor
Bob Fisher, shares a similar
disability as Lamont, he too
is visually impaired. Fisher
said he's known the guitar
player since he was a baby.
Fisher 's story is different
than Lamont's, he lost his
vision because of a rare
medical condition.
"I got it in one eye, they
said it would never happen
in the other eye and then
months later it happened in
the other eye," said Fisher.
"I had 50 years of sight, I'm
very fortunate when I think
about Jason, he was born
without retinas and the retina
is the film in the camera,
that's what makes the eye go:'
Fisher said the way technol-
ogy is moving, he "firmly"
believes Lamont will be able to
one day see. For now Lamont
is not thinking about that, his
mother said he's like every kid
his age his vision is not holding
him back from anything. He's
riding dirt bikes, four -wheelers
and tractors. Lamont currently
has two part-time jobs and is
looking forward to performing
at the next Random Act of
Music in the fall.
ATTENTION ADVERTISERS!
DEADLINES
Our Weekly Deadlines are as follows:
ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL
Friday @ 2:00 pm
Nuron Expositor
8 Main St, Seaforth
PH: 519-527-0240
www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com
OFFICE HOURS:
Mon. - Fri. 9am - 5pm
CLOSED TUESDAYS
EDIRCTORY
cal JJflE[RC'H
You are invited to attend these area churches
ST. THOMAS ANGLICAN
21 Jarvis St., Seaforth
Rector The Rev. Karine Snowdon
Rectory 519-482-9071
Church Office 519-527-1522
Sunday July 26th
Parish Worship at 11:15a.m.
at St. Paul's Clinton
(no service in Seaforth)
Rev. Snowdon's Farewell Celebration
Potluck lunch
Everyone Welcome
EGMONDVILLE UNITED CHURCH
Pastor Steve Hildebrand
Youth Coordinator - Laura Nakamura
Worship July 26th 10:30 a.m.
Youth Sunday School
at 10:30 a.m.
Adult Sunday School
at 9:45 a.m.
For more information view our website
www.egmondvilleunitedchurch.com
& like us on Facebook
BETHEL BIBLE CHURCH
An Associated Gospel Church
126 Main St. Seaforth
519-527-0982
Interim Pastor:
Rev. Laurie Morris
SundayWorshipService10:00a.m.
July & August Only
(5 EVERYONE WELCOME
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
59 Goderich St. W. Seaforth
519-527-0170
Lorrie Mann - Organist
Sunday Worship
July 26th 11:00 am
Guest Speaker: Rev. Carol Hamilton
Regular Worship during July & August
• Nursery Provided as Needed
L� ALL WELCOME
Nothing is holding back this young Seaforth boy
Jason Lamont
enjoys life to the
fullest, he laughs
and said "whenever
the Plumber comes
over and sees me he
always calls me Ray
Charles"
Shaun Gregory
Huron Expositor
As Jason Lamont strums the
acoustic guitar there's no need
to see any musical notes, the
visually impaired Seaforth
teen learns the tune by ear.
Lamont first picked up a gui-
tar a year ago and since then the
15 -year-old has jammed with
some experienced music pals
in Mitchell. To top it off he's also
performed at his grandparent's
50th anniversary and earned
himself some relatively thick
fingers. The musical sores
developing on his fingers are
something that Lamont said
he's proud of.
"I will eventually get cal-
luses and now I know
because I read Braille that
calluses are not going to
affect it," said Lamont.
When Lamont first started
playing the guitar his parents
worried that reading Braille
would be interrupted
because of the constant use
of his fingers with the guitar.
But the way most guitarists
and Lamont twang, the cuti-
cles will harden on the part of
the fingers that is not needed
to feel Braille readings.
Lamont is currently enrolled
at W. Ross Macdonald, which
is a school that specializes in
the teaching of children visu-
ally impaired. The soon to be
Grade 11 student said he is
enjoying the summer break
and is looking forward to jam-
ming with the older guys at the
Random Acts of Music in
Mitchell.
"When I'm playing with a
group, it makes me feel like
I'm part of it, it's not like I'm
just sitting there listening,"
said Lamont.
"I play, if it's something I
can't play, I flip the guitar
over and hit it like a drum:"
Lamont has the music in
his blood, he comes from a
long list of relatives who have
been drawn into music. His
12 -year-old sister plays the
drums and his momdid key-
board. Lamont's grandmother
also was involved in several
different types of instruments
and her grandmother as well.
Like his grandmother,
Lamont is also experiment-
ing with other instruments
other than the guitar. He
owns a keyboard, drum set,
accordion and has his hopes
on a fiddle in the near future.
"It makes me very happy to
watch him pick up instru-
ments and away he goes, said
Jason's mother Tracy Lamont.
Tracy explained that
Lamont has always been a
"little energetic, no limits, he
just always loves to live life to
the extreme."
That limitless mentality was
almost once limited for
Lamont. When Lamont was a
baby he was born almost four
months pre -mature, him and
his twin brother Jacob. Lamont
weighed a small fraction of
what most babies should be
and his twin brother weighed
less. Lamont weighed 1 lbs 8 oz
while his twin was 14 oz. The
delivery did not go smooth for
the two twins. Lamont stayed
in the hospital for 103 days
after birth and his twin passed
away, the day the two were
bom.
"There was a time we
thought he wouldn't make it,
to see him doing all this stuff
that he does is pretty amaz-
ing," said Tracy.
Seaforth Ward councillor
Bob Fisher, shares a similar
disability as Lamont, he too
is visually impaired. Fisher
said he's known the guitar
player since he was a baby.
Fisher 's story is different
than Lamont's, he lost his
vision because of a rare
medical condition.
"I got it in one eye, they
said it would never happen
in the other eye and then
months later it happened in
the other eye," said Fisher.
"I had 50 years of sight, I'm
very fortunate when I think
about Jason, he was born
without retinas and the retina
is the film in the camera,
that's what makes the eye go:'
Fisher said the way technol-
ogy is moving, he "firmly"
believes Lamont will be able to
one day see. For now Lamont
is not thinking about that, his
mother said he's like every kid
his age his vision is not holding
him back from anything. He's
riding dirt bikes, four -wheelers
and tractors. Lamont currently
has two part-time jobs and is
looking forward to performing
at the next Random Act of
Music in the fall.
ATTENTION ADVERTISERS!
DEADLINES
Our Weekly Deadlines are as follows:
ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL
Friday @ 2:00 pm
Nuron Expositor
8 Main St, Seaforth
PH: 519-527-0240
www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com
OFFICE HOURS:
Mon. - Fri. 9am - 5pm
CLOSED TUESDAYS