Jason & Marjorie Crigler

Jason and his sister Marjorie have developed a powerful multimedia presentation that explains how and why Jason recovered. Using video footage of Jason’s rehabilitation taken by hospital staff and drawing on their unique, personal experience, they show how intense family involvement makes the difference in a positive recovery.

Who is Jason:
Jason Crigler has been playing music professionally for eleven years. He has worked with Marshall Crenshaw, John Cale, Linda Thompson, Erin Mckeown, Teddy Thompson, Ollabelle and many others. Jason has performed with Norah Jones, Suzanne Vega and Rufus Wainwright. Additionally, Jason has composed music for the feature-length documentary Ashtanga, NY and the film short, Grand Street. He has also composed the music for numerous Internet ad campaigns, including many for General Electric (GE).

Who is Marjorie:
Marjorie Crigler writes under the name Mojie Crigler. Her plays have been produced at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Magic Theatre, Carnegie Mellon University, and elsewhere. Her short stories have been published in several literary journals, including The Brooklyn Rail and The Gut. A graduate of Stanford University and Vermont College of Fine Arts, Marjorie also teaches writing; this fall, she will teach at The College of New Jersey.

Life.Support.Music.

Life.Support.Music. is a feature-length documentary about Jason’s recovery which will air on PBS’ POV series on July 7, 2009. The film, which ran at New York’s Cinema Village movie theatre, has screened at dozens of local and international film festivals, picking up several awards and earning rave reviews. “Heart-wrenching and inspiring,” says The Boston Globe. “Incredibly powerful,” says VOX Magazine.

Defying the Odds: How One Man Recovered from a Stroke with the Help of His Family 

In this 45-60 minute multimedia presentation, Jason and Marjorie share their insight into the mindset that enabled Jason’s recovery from a devastating brain injury. Providing both survivor and caregiver points of view, Jason and Marjorie show the many ways in which their attitudes made the difference in surviving—and even benefiting from—an extreme crisis. This inspiring presentation includes a Q&A session and a brief musical performance by Jason.

Defying the Odds for Health Care Groups
Jason and Marjorie deliver a 45-60 minute multimedia presentation examining the various factors that helped Jason recover from a brain injury when most of his doctors said it couldn’t be done. Offering both survivor and caregiver points of view, Jason and Marjorie’s presentation is practical, educational and incredibly inspiring. The presentation is followed by a Q&A session and a brief musical performance by Jason. 

Defying the Odds Screening & Speech
This presentation begins with a screening of the award-winning documentaryLife.Support.Music., which chronicles guitarist Jason Crigler’s recovery from a brain injury with the help of his family. Following the screening, Jason and Marjorie deliver a 30-minute talk with a Q&A session. The presentation closes with a brief musical performance by Jason.