Staff writer
Pianist Brian Arnold will return to share not only his music but also his story with patrons free of charge at 7 p.m. Sunday at the USD 408 Performing Arts Center, as part of the Marion Ministerial Alliance Community Thanksgiving Services.
“He came at Chingawassa Days and did so well that we wanted to have him back,” Marion Christian Church pastor Carl Helm said Monday. “It was hard to believe anyone could play piano with one hand, but he was phenomenal.”
Arnold lost a leg at the age 6 when his father accidentally ran over him with a lawnmower. This event prompted his mother to direct him toward music.
He began making music and a living by making music with his hands. At age 20, he was known as a musician instead of as a person with a handicap.
Arnold’s identity was challenged once again in 1994 when he was in a life-threatening accident involving a semi-truck in which his left arm was paralyzed from the shoulder down.
However, he refused to quit his music because he was sure God was not finished with him.
Arnold seeks to help others overcome adversity and find their true identity by playing his music and sharing his story of hope.