The Citrus College jazz combo performed for a group of patients suffering from eye diseases April 4 at the senior center in West Covina.
On their website, Eye Diseases Are Serious is “an organization dedicated to helping the visually impaired in the San Gabriel Valley. EYE-DAS encourages those with visual problems to become more independent and lead a more productive and satisfying lifestyle.”
Sharon Lewis, director on the Citrus College Foundation Board of Directors and a current board member with EYE-DAS, helped organize the event.
“We don’t have things like this very often, but Citrus’ involvement is major,” Lewis said.
Citrus College music instructor Alan Waddington was instrumental in setting up the event.
“They’re touching, and they all really listen to the music, and they are very appreciative of it,” Waddington said.
Waddington’s jazz groups have performed for Lewis’ group over a decade ago, but their relationship remains intact.
“We have a wonderful relationship, and he is a wonderful man and I called him and asked if he could do this and they said, ‘Of course we can do it,’” Lewis said.
Lewis has been involved with EYE-DAS since the creation of the organization. and was the President of the West Covina group before.
“I got a new president … who has now kind of taken over for me, and it makes my life a little easier,” Lewis said. “But I’m still on the board.”
In addition to her efforts with EYE-DAS, Lewis is also an active member in the Citrus College community and has been in the Citrus College Alumni Association since 1955.
Lewis said that Citrus College is one of the places that keeps on giving to her “never ending education” throughout her life.
“I am involved heavily at Citrus, and my involvement is all over the campus,” Lewis said. ” I went to Citrus Union High School.”
The President of the West Covina group, Debbie Cordero, said that everyone should get the opportunity to experience a live music performance.
“Music is for everyone,” Cordero said.
During the performance, several members in the group stood up out of their chairs and danced with each other while taking in the sounds and music being played by the jazz combo.
The American Heart Association was also present at the performance, taking blood pressure of the senior citizens at the center for free.
Cordero said that was set up on purpose to support the theme of the month.
“Today our theme is the beat goes on,” Cordero said. “We’re welcoming in spring so we thought pairing up the Citrus College jazz combo along with the American Heart Association – the beat of the heart and the beat of the music – I think the members and everyone in the center would enjoy it.”
Cordero said that EYE-DAS means alot to her and the people that also share a similar lifestyle of being legally blind.
“I am visually impaired and I was born with glaucoma,” Cordero said. “Music can really bring you into the positive and bring the light in and make you forget the negative and the things that can bring you down.”
At every meeting, the EYE-DAS group in West Covina always tries to incorporate music one way or another.
“Whether its a CD or someone playing a trumpet, we got to have music, I don’t care how we just got to have music,” Cordero said.
The importance of music is also shared in the eyes of Lewis as it means so much to the people who get the chance to listen.
“It brings them so much joy, because some of them never get out of their home and so we try to provide something that’s exciting, interesting, soothing and something they remember,” Lewis said.
Lewis helps run the EYE-DAS meetings, getting badges, passing out food and assisting the legally blind with anything they need at those meetings.
Members of the jazz combo like Frank “Max” Juarez, said they relished the opportunity to play for the EYE-DAS group because it gives them so much joy.
“It’s always really nice to go play for audiences and express how you feel on your instrument and take people to places they cant even go and that’s why we play in the first place,” Juarez said. “That’s the only reason why we do it and if you’re looking to do it for any other reason than making other people happy than I mean good luck.”
Waddington appreciates the learning opportunities for his students that come with playing at an event like the EYE-DAS group.
“They see a different group of people with different sensibilities but this audience really appreciates what they do and they are really touched by it and it’s good for the students to be around a situation that is different and that has some adversity,” Waddington said.
