Missoula Youth Symphony's Concert in the Dark to shine light on eye disease

Darkness has been a theme in the life of Emily Graham, who is organizing the Concert in the Dark to promote awareness about retinitis pigmentosa.

Graham, a Hellgate High School senior, was diagnosed with the genetic disease when she was 2 years old.

During Saturday's performance, the Innocent Bystanders Brass Band and David Harmsworth will perform entirely in the dark to give that sense of having to rely on your other senses, Graham said.

The Missoula Youth Symphony, in which Graham plays the viola, also will perform and blindfolds will be available for people who want to continue listening in darkness.

After the performances, an auction will take place during which participants will wear blindfolds and bid in the dark.

The event is to help raise money for research and awareness about retinitis pigmentosa, which causes vision disintegration and leads to blindness.

About 100,000 people have the disease that usually makes them legally blind by the age of 40, according to the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Im definitely on the better end of the spectrum, Graham said, adding that she has trouble adjusting to sudden changes in lighting and night blindness.

Still, knowing that she likely will go blind has been a difficult eventuality with which to wrestle.

That was really scary, she said. I just worried so much about it.

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Missoula Youth Symphony's Concert in the Dark to shine light on eye disease