Vigil will present “Playing with the Brain” as part of his residency as a Joan C. Edwards Distinguished Professor in the Arts. His two virtual presentations will be available via Zoom, and are free and open to the public. They are scheduled as follows:
- First presentation: “Playing with the Brain,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11. This presentation explores functions of the human brain and learning music.
- Second presentation: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16. Vigil will continue to elaborate on his pedagogy and will answer the questions sent to him by attendees of the first lecture.
Vigil is an award-winning guitar educator. From July to November 2007, he underwent seven brain surgeries to embolize and remove a large arteriovenous malformation (AVM) from the left occipital lobe. As a result, he was left with half of his visual field (homonymous hemianopia), dyslexia and aphasia. He was able to regain most of his abilities through therapy, but he remains half blind. His intrinsic interest in the brain has allowed him to better understand learning deficits in his students. Since his surgeries, Vigil has continued to pursue his passions of teaching, composing and performing.
For a link to attend the online presentation, e-mail alves@marshall.edu.
These presentations are sponsored by the Joan C. Edwards Distinguished Professor in the Arts endowment and the School of Music in the College of Arts and Media.