For some, the arts are entertainment, experiences of outside-the-box thinking and sensory gratification that can move and inspire. For artists, the arts are more than pleasant or even thought-provoking diversions; they are a way of life. But if you're an artist battling a serious illness or struggling with some other disability, engaging in art takes on added weight, not as a form of escapism, but rather as that which reminds you and the world around you that your light still shines, that your voice is still singing in the crowd. VSA Ohio, the state organization on arts and disability, knows that artists facing challenges need art more than ever. Each year the VSA Young Soloist Competition gives talented singers and instrumentalists throughout Ohio under the age of 25 a chance to compete for cash prizes and publicity and performance opportunities. There's still time to enter this year's competition - deadline: December 2 at 5 p.m. But you don't have to enter the competition to be inspired by VSA's Young Soloists. Watch the video above to hear the inspiring stories about the 2011 Young Soloist Competition winners, young musicians who have survived even deadly illnesses and lived to share their songs.
Jennifer Hambrick unites her extensive backgrounds in the arts and media and her deep roots in Columbus to bring inspiring music to central Ohio as Classical 101’s midday host. Jennifer performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago before earning a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.