Armless man plays "Let it Be" on the Guitar

[Netjet!]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuIkrsdrJLY


Tony Melendez is a man who was born without arms. He learned guitar when he was 16 (as explained in this video). He plays Let it Be on it.

Whenever I hear this song, it makes me feel happy.

[behanjc]

That's cool and inspirational

[Tater Tot]

That's freaking awesome. He's got some crazy skills there.

[devonin]

We had a speaker come to my school who was born with no arms, who among other things demonstrated his ability to play the piano and drums with his feet, as well as telling us how he can drive, eat, comb his hair etc etc just like anybody else.

The whole point of the message was "I can do everything you can do, you shoudln't treat me any differently than someone who has arms"

In which case, this is a link to some guy playing a beatles song somewhat well.

[Chrissi]

Originally Posted by devonin

We had a speaker come to my school who was born with no arms, who among other things demonstrated his ability to play the piano and drums with his feet, as well as telling us how he can drive, eat, comb his hair etc etc just like anybody else.

The whole point of the message was "I can do everything you can do, you shoudln't treat me any differently than someone who has arms"

In which case, this is a link to some guy playing a beatles song somewhat well.

lol you made that comment on the video.

[devonin]

I sure did. Though I don't actually have a youtube account, that account belongs to one of the people I live with, I hope he doesn't get flamed too bad for it :P

[Chrissi]

I think you miss the point though, devonin. The point is that they overcame disability. It's a common inspirational theme. The idea is to understand that despite any disability you might have, the human potential is so great that we can still do amazing things that you'd never guess we can do.

Yeah, the idea is "I'm as good as you", but it's also "I went so much further than you ever had to go, AND I'm better than you, so respect." It's not "treat us exactly the same". That wouldn't be recognizing the effort and perseverence involved in overcoming a disability. They ARE different. They went much further than you've had to. This is meant to indicate that you could do the same, if you had to.

[devonin]

That wouldn't be recognizing the effort and perseverence involved in overcoming a disability. They ARE different. They went much further than you've had to.

This directly contradicts the message that I had pretty explicitly spelled out for me. They were greatly offended at the idea that they could be told they coudln't do something, or that they would be patted on the back for accomplishing something considered simple and basic like they had done anything more than what anybody else would do.

[behanjc]

I obviously see what devonin is saying. However would you say the same thing if someone with arms learned to play guitar with their feet?

It is an obvious accomplishment, only emphasized by the fact that it was his only means of expressing something others take for granted.

Also, would this guy really have learned to play with his feet if he had arms? Obviously not, so he DID have to overcome his natural disability. I can certainly understand being offended by being called disabled because you can perform tasks that normal people can as well, but it takes more practice and dedication to perform these tasks than it would with arms, simply due to the natural construction of our body over evoultion.

[MystictheHedgehog]

Okay Dev. Let's take your angle then. Pretend he has arms.

It's not just a video of some guy playing a Beatle's song well. It's a video of some guy playing a Beatle's song well with his feet. He's doing something most can't even do with their hands. Yet, not only is he doing it, he is doing it in a way most people couldn't ever dream of doing it in by playing with his feet.

[devonin]

Okay Dev. Let's take your angle then. Pretend he has arms.

When was my angle ever "pretend he has arms"?

He's doing something most can't even do with their hands. Yet, not only is he doing it, he is doing it in a way most people couldn't ever dream of doing it in by playing with his feet.

Except from birth he learned to do things with his feet that other children learned to do with their hands. That's like saying that someone born in Spain has done something impressive because they speak spanish and I can't speak spanish.

[phe0nixblade]

That's pretty cool.

[welsh_girl]

It's good
I prefer this guy though, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3gMg...eature=related

[Rubin0]

My feet cramped up just watching him. That's pretty cool, though.

[championanwar]

Wow, that's what you call skill.
I wonder if he could play FFR with his feet o.0

[Flandre Scarlet]

That's awesome and inspiring. o.o

I was at SPI/Brownsville last year, If I'd known of this guy, I could have gone and seen him in person. =/ Damnit.