Musician with cerebral palsy creates single with his eyes

A young man with severe cerebral palsy who uses his eyes to play music will have his debut single played at a festival this weekend.

Jac Richards, from Carmarthenshire, was starved of oxygen at birth, leaving him brain damaged.

He uses a computer operated by his eye movements to write and play music, and even film and edit videos.

Jac said he is "proud but nervous" for his song Only Love to be played at RawFfest in Cardiff.

"I feel happy and excited to write and play music. I am finally using my brain properly," said Jac, from Llangennech near Llanelli.

"I can play and arrange lots of instruments using eye gaze."

Assistive technology allows Jac to write and create music, as well as film and edit videos using his eyes

The 22-year old has been studying music and film for the past three years and says his biggest influences are Gary Barlow, Michael Buble and Emma Bunton.

He has gained 10 qualifications with Forget Me Not Productions, an organisation which specialises in making the arts accessible to all through the use of assistive technology.

His debut single will be played at RawFfest - a youth arts festival for 14 to 25-year-olds - which is being held at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay this weekend.

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Jac said he was happy to be part of the festival and paid tribute to his teachers.

"I discovered my talent through Forget Me Not Productions and I've learnt a lot about what I can do with the help of Clary and Mel [at Forget Me Not]," he said.

"I think people can expect to be impressed and entertained by my music."

'Original and creative'

Jac's mother Joanne Richards says he has always been a big music fan and the technology has allowed him to be creative.

"With Jac he can't use his hands, he has no speech so he has this creativity locked inside of him," she explained.

"So what this eye gaze technology is doing is enabling him to express his love of music by being original and creative."

Ms Richards added: "He loves all music and it has enriched his life and it makes him so happy, and that makes us happy."