THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 25, 1994 TAG: 9412230234
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY NANCY LEWIS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
Ben Zimmer has a refined and discriminating ear for music.
The mentally handicapped 16-year-old would rather listen to Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti belt out ``Tosca'' any day than turn up the volume on head bangers and synthesized sound like most of his peers.
In fact, all that the severely handicapped teen wants for Christmas is taped music by the three famous tenors of contemporary opera - Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Jose Cararras.
Ben got his wish partially fulfilled last weekend when Santa handed him ``Placido Domingo Sings and Conducts Tchaikovsky'' at a Christmas party for mentally handicapped children and their families sponsored by the city's Respite Care program and paid for by Virginia Beach police charitable associations.
Ben's mother, Carmaline Zimmer, is grateful for her son's taste in music.
``I get to listen to opera now,'' she said. ``He won't listen to Nirvana.''
Ben suffers from a rare chromosomal deletion disorder. He is so profoundly disabled that he has little control over anything in his life. Ben spends a lot of time tuned into public radio, listening for his favorite operas and tenors. He finds the music calming, said his mother.
When Metallica or Guns 'n Roses come over the airwaves, Ben alerts his older brother - who's into the mainstream of teen music - to tune his radio in and then goes back to searching for the opera he loves so much.
Picking up on his cue, the Zimmers began buying classical music on tape for their son, and soon found that he gravitated to opera. Just now, ``Pavarotti is his favorite,'' said Carmaline Zimmer.
In fact, the boy is so fond of opera that his parents and teachers use the promise of ``opera time'' as an incentive to learning and improved behavior, his mother said. ``It makes his life meaningful.''
Carmaline Zimmer, who holds a degree in special education and works with parents of disabled children in the public school system, thinks that adults who work with handicapped youths should try extra hard to understand their preferences.
``A lot of them have unique likes and dislikes we're not tapping into,'' she said. ``I'm sorry that others look at disabilities only.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by NANCY LEWIS
Santa greets Benjamin Zimmer, 16, who is severely mentally
handicapped but has a taste for opera and classical music.
by CNB