Vision loss can be as low-level as blurriness and as severe as blindness. There are no generally accepted definitions for “low vision,” “vision loss” or “visually impaired.” However, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that about 12 million people over age 40 are visually impaired, including 3 million with corrected and 8 million with uncorrected impairment.

As we get older the need to feel part of a community and find hobbies becomes more important. Some seniors in Tempe have found this community at Cahill Senior Center. “They provide us joy,” said Alicia Garcia a regular senior at the Cahill Center, after leaving a cooking class at the center.

Music can spark joy. Whether you’re grinning to a Dolly Parton tune, thrilling to a Bach concerto or weeping through a Puccini opera, you are engaged in what may be a uniquely human activity — the translation of music into emotions.