Martha Curtis

Using both words and music, Martha Curtis inspires audiences around the world. Both "60 Minutes" and "Today" have profiled her life of passion and determination. At age three Curtis started convulsing and was diagnosed with epilepsy. Within a year and a half her mother had her playing the piano and dancing. This early arts training helped build cognitive and physical skills that allowed her access to her expressive self. However, the seizures continued with increasing intensity and rapidity. Despite this seizure activity and the high levels of anticonvulsant drugs, she graduated Salutatorian from the Interlochen Arts Academy and with honors from the Eastman School of Music. Curtis battled epilepsy on and off stage for many years until a team of doctors at the Cleveland Clinic removed the damaged sections of her right brain to stop the neurological storms. Her decision to undergo brain surgery and remove a portion of her temporal lobe was one of great courage. Today Curtis is seizure-free, and her ability to perform and memorize difficult pieces of music is greater than before the operations. Martha Curtis' success story has single-handedly changed preconceived theories about brain and memory function. She has now performed throughout the United States and abroad to audiences of all ages. Using both words and music, she brings to the stage a unique insight from the inner world of the human being. MOST REQUESTED PROGRAMS I Am, Therefore I Will: A Personal Story of Resiliency, Will and the Transformative Powers of Music