The Hamilton Spectator Wednesday, April 14, 1999 Scott MacIntyre can’t see but music is his vision Child prodigy amazes at the keyboard by Linda Jacobs Signs of Life (905) 336-6909     You and I could focus today on all the things Scott MacIntyre can’t do.     And if my prose had enough energy - and we were all honest with ourselves about how we’d feel in his place - well, then, Scott’s story would move us all.     To tears? Likely. To reflection? Certainly. Perhaps even to prayer if we find that helpful.     But Scott wouldn’t want that. And not because he’s brave or plucky or any of that Old Yeller stuff. Because, simply, Scott’s having an amazing life. A life that’s completely absorbing. One that can transport him to all those heights of emotion - and does it regularly.     A life which, if we were honest one more time, we might all envy as much as pity.     Scott is legally blind, born with retinal damage. His field of vision is so narrow, it’s as if he’s looking at the world through a straw.     He’s 13 years old and he can’t shoot baskets with his buds. Or smile at someone’s good looks or sparkling eyes.     But, oh my, if we could only hear what Scott hears.     Yes, if we could hear what Scott hears, a haunting melody on the radio would not drive us crazy with the memory. We’d just sit down and play it by ear. It would be ours forever. If we could hear what Scott hears, any of us might have composed and recorded two CDs before going to high school, too.     And we might be getting on that plane to California this weekend, the one that’s taking Scott to perform on the Hour of Power in the world-famous Crystal Cathedral.     It’s a hugely popular inspirational TV show that plays in 152 countries (the show in which Scott appears will air on May 2 at 11 a.m. on Crossroads Television, channel 26 in Burlington).     But that’s just the latest and greatest of all his opportunities.     We first met Scott more than two years ago when he was already an amazing prodigy. But at 11, he was performing at local churches and other small venues.     Oh, the crowds loved him all right. I told you about the standing ovation Scott got but never knew about (his parents had to tell him later that the congregation of Brant Bible church had risen as one to honour his gift).     Since then he’s made two CDs of his own compositions and classical works by Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Bach.     This is in spite of the fact Scott can’t sight read while playing. He can read music all right. But because of that tunnel vision, he can’t see more than one note at a time. It makes sight reading a little impractical, to say the least. Fortunately Scott doesn’t need to sight read when he performs.     He learns a complex classical piece one hand at a time. He can sight read what his left hand should be doing or his right hand, but not both at the same time. When he has the whole thing mastered, he performs from memory.     But for popular melodies off the radio or TV, Scott just goes to the piano and plays them perfectly. He’s been doing that since age three. His first CD was called Seeing Through Sound.     "I’m not as visual as everyone else," he explains about the title. "I just thought it would be a good title to explain how I detect things through sound."     Scott’s "not sad" about his blindness, he says, and actually he can’t remember ever feeling any injustice over it.     "I realize I can’t do things others can do. But I can play piano and I have a lot of fun."     His second CD called Brothers for all Seasons opens with Scott and his younger brother Todd singing Scott’s composition about brotherly love.     The title song is a stunningly mature and yet sentimental piece of work. It contains a lament about winter - when "frozen silence stops what I see" - and contains a dedication to Todd, his sighted guide through life.     Family and faith are both important to Scott. He thanks both parents on the CD and also his God "for giving me my passion for music."     "My music has blessed a lot of people," Scott says. "That’s really all I wish for."