This performance of 'This Is Me' will lift your spirits

A London, Ont. music teacher with a huge heart for people with disabilities led her students in an uplifting performance that caps off their fall program and is leaving virtual audiences wanting more.

Allison O'Connor, with her students, delivered a passionate renditionof "This Is Me," the theme song from the motion pictureThe Greatest Showman. The song is a perfect match for the students who took part in the fall music program offered byDreams Come True Music Studio in London, Ont.

The live concert was broadcast to an audience of about 400 people last Friday and can be viewedon YouTube.

Dreams Come True offers inclusive programs for people of all ages and abilities. O'Connor said she started the studio because of her son, Cameron.

"I am so passionate about music. I've been teaching music for many, many years. It's such a fantastic tool to communicate, whether you're verbal or nonverbal," she said."My son was very, very shy and has aspeech impediment. He found his voice most recently through Dreams Come True, through music."

O'Connor, who has been a music teacher for the Thames Valley District School Board in London for over 30 years, started the music program as an educational and therapeutic tool for both children and adults.

Before the pandemic, the students would meet atSiloam United Church on Saturday mornings to learn songs and rehearse. Since then, they've moved online and meet on Zoom.

"I didn't know how we could make this work, but with the great support of my volunteers, we were able to meet," said O'Connor."But yeah, it has been difficult, very difficult not to see each other in person because we're each other's support circle."

The Dreams Come True Music Studio's winter program is set to start virtually on Jan. 23. For more information and to sign up, visit theirwebsite.