Blind teen to play National Anthem for Diamondbacks on Opening Day

Joe Giacinto, a 15-year-old clarinet player who was born blind, will play the National Anthem for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Opening Day.

BY LOGAN NEWMAN

Mar 9, 2020, 12:57 PM

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A teenager who was born blind dreamed of playing the National Anthem at the Arizona Diamondbacks game.

He’ll get his chance on Opening Day.

Joe Giacinto, a 15-year-old who taught himself how to play clarinet, will be performing the Star Spangled Banner at the D-backs’ 2020 season opener against the Atlanta Braves on March 26.

Joe Giacinto was born blind and taught himself how to play the clarinet.

His dream is to play the National Anthem at a #Dbacks game.

He'll be living that dream on Opening Day. pic.twitter.com/pvb4TViFR6

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) March 9, 2020

The D-backs tweeted a video of organization president and CEO Derrick Hall FaceTiming the freshman high school student.

“You know how Opening Day, we always make sure we have the best first pitch and the best anthem possible because that’s such a special day and it’s sell-out crowd?” Hall asked Giacinto. “Well, we though the best person for the anthem would be you on Opening Day.”

Giacinto asked his parents for the clarinet as a present. He struggled with it at first, he told 12 News, but after a few hours he got the hang of it.

“When I got the clarinet, I tried playing it and I couldn’t really make it make a noise out of it, but two or three hours later, I learned every note, self-taught,” he said.

Giacinto wants to be the first chair at Highland High School. He told 12 News he practices about three hours a day.

His goal of playing at the Diamondbacks game will be realized.

“I have always been wanting to perform in a big crowd since, like, my eighth-grade year,” he said.

A high school crowd is one thing. The D-backs game is another.

And his end goal is to play at Carnegie Hall.

“I just like hearing myself play,” Giacinto said. “It makes me feel proud of what I accomplished.”