Ken Medema

Ken Medema, a legally blind Christian musician, first discovered his deep connection to music at age five through his mother's piano in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was born in 1942. Growing up in an era when blindness carried little social acceptance, the boy faced rejection from peers and often turned inward, finding comfort solely through musical expression.

At eight he began formal training, and his instructor guided him in reading Braille scores while relying on memory to master classical works. That teacher also urged him to experiment freely, allowing his abilities to expand rapidly. In 1969 Medema earned a Master's Degree in Music Therapy from Michigan State University.

He launched his recording career in 1973 with albums released on Word and Shawnee Press, then established his own independent label, Bier Patch Music, in Grandville, Michigan, in 1985. By 2002 he had issued multiple albums and delivered thousands of piano-and-voice concerts across North America, Australia, Africa, and Europe.