[Ohio-talk] A little article about Kyle at Wright State, thought I'd share.

[Cindy Conley]

Apparently was written for a fundraising flyer for the new Creative Arts 
Center renovation.
Thought I'd share it with you.

The Special Relationship

A melodious sound resonates through Schuster Hall from the violins of Kyle 
Conley and In-Hong Cha.

An internationally renowned violinist from Korea, Cha joined the music 
faculty at Wright State University in 2000. His student, Conley, is a music 
education major.

Cha and Conley have forged a bond—a special relationship that developed out 
of their love for the violin, their respect for each other, and the 
challenge of overcoming a disability to achieve their dreams.

Known as the “maestro in a wheelchair,” Cha has performed around the world 
and conducted orchestras from South Carolina to St. Petersburg, Russia.

Like his legendary teacher, Conley has also been a trailblazer. The first 
visually impaired student to enroll in Wright State’s Department of Music, 
he introduced the university to computer software that translates sheet 
music into Braille. This same technology is now available to other Wright 
State students.

“I just love the fact that it’s a great school for students with 
disabilities,” said Conley.

Conley’s Wright State experience has been made even more user-friendly 
thanks to Alpine, his service dog. The golden Labrador retriever helps 
Conley navigate the campus and tunnels.

“He’s been a great companion,” said Conley. “Everybody loves him.”

Conley, who started playing the violin at the age of nine, has honed his 
craft under Cha’s tutelage.

“He’s been a great mentor,” said Conley. “There have been a lot of things we’ve 
accomplished together—we’ve done two recitals—and we’ve been able to work 
through a lot of technical aspects.”

“Kyle is one of the great students,” said Cha. “Not only does he have great 
playing skill and knowledge of music, he is a role model to other students.”

Conley had the chance to meet one of his own role models when Takayoshi 
Wanami, a visually impaired violinist from Japan, performed as part of the 
Department of Music’s Artist Series.

“It was a really great opportunity for Kyle to see a successful musician 
with the same situation,” said Cha. “It showed him the potential and the 
possibilities.”