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SNOOPI BOTTEN'S MUSIC
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HOW I GOT STARTED
Back in 1986 I was undecided about what I wanted to do with my life. Having been born disabled, I didn't mind that I was in a wheelchair, I didn't mind that I was hard to understand, and I was a gifted artist and writer. But yet I wanted something more.
I remember years earlier hearing a radio announcer say "And now here's some new music by Sandy and Patty". When the song was over he corrected himself, "I guess her name was Sandi Patty". I felt like I new her.
At school I was teaching myself computer programming because back then it was thought that programing was too difficult for the disabled. I got really far, but got stuck on hi resolution graphics. I needed help, I needed to learn algebra. But I was stuck in 4th grade special education math. So, I made a bet with my teacher. If I programmed a low resolution video, he would teach me algebra.
I took Sandi Patty's very first album, and used "How majestic is Your name". I programed a video to be in perfect time with the song. It was easy, it just took me 4 weeks because I can only type 7 words a minute. I qued everything up for the teacher who thought it was going to be a joke. He then started it up like I instructed him to, and total shock came over him as my video was animated to the music. When it was through, he had me print out my program and explain how I did everything. He then took my video to the school board and they then started programming classes in that school.
After not being allowed to take the programming class because I didn't know algebra, I dropped out. I took my G.E.D. because I knew I was much smarter than I was being credited. I then started making and selling Christmas cards. Sandi had recorded "The gift goes on", and I had designed a card from the inspiration of that song. The only problem was, I felt like I quoted her entire song. Sandi was going to be at the fair, so I decided to try to meet and ask her. After all, my art was in her newsletter, so I really wanted to meet her.
Meeting her for the first time was really strange. Here she was a big star with Gold albums, yet she was just a person. A person who I actually got to meet.
It changed my life. I then wanted to be in music. Art and writing were so natural to me that I truly didn't enjoy it. I was not happy at all, and gave God my heart which so badly wanted to be in music. I could not talk, yet everything in me wanted to have a music ministry.
I got really bored after my G.E.D. I had made the computer talk at my school and missed having computer access. I then remembered seeing a communication device. I couldn't talk, so I used my disability to get me something to play with. I ended up with a Touch Talker, and I just liked making it say stuff.
I then upgraded the voice just for fun. Friends were jokingly asking if it would sing. I thought nothing of it at the time because computers just didn't sing. The Touch Talker came back with this upgraded voice chip. I openned the manual and laughed when it said "How to sing". There was an entire chapter on singing, and I thought it was a sick joke. I called the company asking which one of my friends did this joke. They were serious and said it actually sang. Then they told me how to sing one of the built in songs. I did what I was told thinking it was still a joke. I almost fainted when it sang. I then called my friend up and told him it sang. He thought I was teasing until I had it sing over the phone. We both laughed until we cried it was so funny.
I then relized that God had answered my Prayer. He gave me an external singing voice, I just had to learn to program it. Sandi spent 3 years in John Tompson's book 1, but I spent 5 years learning the music scale. See, I was teaching a computer to sing, so I had to translate music into codes. This had no rhythm, I had to tell it everything, plus learn phonetic spelling. It was hard, very hard. I had notes and scales all over my wall, and I just studied music day and night for 5 years. And I used Sandi Patty's music because it would inspire me to keep trying. It was very hard to get a computer voice to sing. And no one knew how to do it, so I was basically on my own.
God openned doors for me the entire time. I sang in a bar every week because no Church would let an off key machine sing. So God let me share my heart in a bar every week. And because I didn't drink, an AA meeting was started right at the bar. People who felt like they couldn't do anything saw my smile, saw me improving in my music, and they saw hope. I could look right into their eyes and say that Jesus gave me music. Some people repented from self doubt and invited God to use them.
Jesus loves everyone of us. God gave me my music ministry. Today, any disabled person can order my work, load it into their device, and sing.
A year ago I had the honor of singing in her concert a year ago and giving her a copy of my first album "Words of love".
I now use a Vanguard, and aside from singing with it, I now talk with it. The Prentke Romich Company uses a vocabulary method called "Minspeak". It takes a large vocabulary of words and phrases and stores them under short icon sequences. Replacing spelling, Minspeak enhances speech rate making conversations quick and spontaineous.
I view my music ministry as an encouragement to show that nothing is beyond the possibilities. If you or someone you know needs a communication device, please try the Prentke Romich Company, www.prentrom.com. We have the vocabulary that keeps on grrowing.
Jesus shines in all of us. We are a witness everywhere we go. May my work inspire you to be all you can for Jesus.
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Services and Products
I have 4 CDs availible for ordering. God has given me a gift of music, and may this be a reminder to everyone that any Prayer can be answered.
Words of love = $16.00
Jam = $16.00
A Voice Of Praise = $16.00
Jukebox = $1600
You're singing with Dectalk = $30.00
Send orders to;
SNOOPI BOTTEN
295 W. MARKET STREET
APT. 104
WARREN, OHIO 44481
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In November of 1999, Sandi did a concert in Maple Grove Minnesota. At one point in her concert she asked if anyone had any song requests. A hand went up and a request was made, only Sandi couldn't remember how the song went. She was a little embarrassed when she need someone to bring her the music for her own songs. While she was waiting, she asked if anyone else had any questions. My hand went up.
She called on me to say something. I got to share what an inspiration she has been to me, I gave her one of my albums, then I said "Wait one minute", and I began pressing buttons on my device. She stood there not knowing what to expect. The next thing she heard was the song that someone had requested which she had forgotten. I think she was dumbfounded to know that I had programmed almost every single song she ever recorded, plus 900 others.
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