Blind and Autistic Vocalist, and Disability Advocate, Lavender Darcangelo, Hosts Virtual Concert in Support of Disability Awareness Month

FITCHBURG, Mass., Oct. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, October 18, Lavender Darcangelo, 25, a blind and autistic vocalist and disability advocate, hosted a free virtual concert on YouTube in honor of Disability Awareness Month.

The virtual concert featured videos of both live and studio recordings, including music of various styles as a symbol of strength through diversity – including both unique and traditional covers of "River Deep, Mountain High," "Rise Up," "Love Wins," and "Respect." The concert also featured an original song composed by Lavender, "Will I Ever," the studio recording of which also appears on an album she recorded with dozens of peers and her adoptive father, Wil Darcangelo, called Strange Among the Different released in 2019 as part of an afterschool music empowerment program called the Tribe.

"It's difficult to put into words just how proud we are of Lavender. From the time I first met her at the age of 15, she has grown to inspire all of us. Not only as a performer, but as a person. She of course has always sung beautifully, but to witness her boundless capacity today is truly uplifting," said Wil Darcangelo.

"This has been my dream ever since childhood. Like many people on the autism spectrum, I have a very active daydream-like world. Everything that's happening to me now is how I vividly imagined it from the start!" added Lavender Darcangelo.

Born with perfect pitch and an immediate love for music, Lavender began singing at the age of three, before she could speak. In 2010 she joined a new mentorship program founded by Wil Darcangelo who, with his husband Jamie, would become her adoptive fathers in 2017. She is currently working on her debut solo album titled Mosaic, which, through its wide variety of songs and musical styles, will honor and raise awareness of the diversity within the autism and disability community.

A passionate disability rights advocate, Lavender hopes to partner with other disabled performing artists, as well as other professional entertainers who share her vision of inspiring empowerment and inclusion through the arts.

To view Lavender's virtual concert, please visit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-etZJMOd_UE

Join Lavender for an Instagram Live session on Thursday, October 22, at 7p.m. U.S. Eastern Time.

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SOURCE BBIP (Best Buddies International Programs)