TAMPA, Fla. — Every year, 10 exceptional musicians living with disabilities from all over the world are selected to come to New York City for one prestigious night of entertainment and recognition.
It’s called the Danny Awards, and a Tampa musician was honored this past November.
When Rick Renstrom first started playing the guitar at age 15, it was just a hobby. But now here we are decades later, and he is inspiring musicians all over the world.
“As far as I’ve ever known, it’s been a congenital birth defect very simply,” said Renstrom. “And that was it. I just had to learn and overcome and adapt everything to my own way.”
It was one particular musical instrument that really piqued Renstrom's curiosity and motivation.
“I got a guitar, and I kind of taught myself how to hold it and everything like that, and once I got good enough, I started taking lessons and just got better and better,” said Renstrom. “And I was dedicated and determined to become something, so I really pushed hard, and I practiced a lot.”
Heavy metal singer Rob Rock recognized Renstrom's talent and perseverance, and pretty soon, he was part of the band.
“It's turned into record deals, it's turned into touring, so I’ve been around the world extensively through Europe and Japan, so that was big stuff back in the day,” said Renstrom.
He loved being a rock star, but Renstrom didn’t realize until years later that he was also a rock inspiration when he received a call from Daniel’s Music Foundation, a non-profit highlighting and enriching musicians of all abilities.
“It was amazing to find that a group like this is actually helping musicians like me to show the world what they can do,” said Renstrom.
Renstrom was invited to New York City with nine fellow musicians to receive a Danny Award, which also included a special live performance.
“It’s quite amazing. There were over 1,000 people in the audience, and of course, there were some people watching on live stream as well, so it was a thrill. It was something I never experienced before,” said Renstrom.
Reading comments on social media, Renstrom said it’s amazing how much his fan base has grown, and he hopes to encourage others to pursue their musical dreams.
“Bigger than I ever thought, and a lot of the comments I see, ‘that you are an inspiration, thank you,’ so it's quite amazing to see, and I’m happy to be here for anyone that needs help,” said Renstrom.
