MONTREAL - Eric Wan grew up knowing he would be performing onstage.
He just never knew how difficult it would be.
Wan was training in classical violin when at age 18, a disease paralyzed him from the neck down.
Forced to learn how to breathe, his dreams of playing music again were shattered until he learned about the Virtual Musical Instrument, then learned to play it well enough to perform.
Pierre Duez helped develop the VMI.
It uses a videocamera hooked up to a computer to convert the movements of Wan's head into sound.
Notes can even be triggered by blinking.
Duez, who works for the Bloorview Research Institute in Toronto, demonstrated his machine and how it maps shapes into musical notes.
With a nod, a blink, or a twist of the jaw, "just by doing that I've caused the shape to turn and the sound associated with that shape just plays," said Duez.
The combination of camera and computer is helping people with disabilities enjoy something that has never before been possible.
"Their eyes just light up when they interact, when they play this instrument for the first time," said Duez.
Now, 15 years after losing the ability to stand and hold a violin, Wan took the stage Tuesday night with the Montreal Chamber Orchestra.
He ended up stealing the show.
"I really love it because we haven't had such a big group of musicians playing with virtual instruments," said Wan.
The event raised $105,000 for the Lucie-Bruneau Foundation, which helps people with disabilities.
It also made Wan a pioneer in performing.
"It feels wonderful."
