TAMPA, Fla. — These days, Randy Bryson moves through life at a slower pace. He's enjoying the retired life, but also has Parkinson's disease. 

Nearly 90,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with Parkinson’s every year, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. The disease affects the brain and cells that produce dopamine, which can lead to symptoms including tremors, changes in speech and difficulty moving. 

Bryson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2012. He first noticed the muscles in his face become stiff. Now, Bryson struggles with his balance and relies on a walker to get around. 

“If I didn’t have Parkinson’s, I’d be walking down the street, walking around the block,” Bryson said. “But because of the fact that I could potentially fall, I want to stay in my front yard, basically, on a flat surface.”

Though Bryson has had Parkinson’s for more than a decade, he said his symptoms have worsened over the past couple years. Even though it’s become more difficult, Bryson still takes a 30-minute walk around his driveway every day to stay mobile for as long as possible. 

“Try and own the Parkinson’s disease as opposed to the disease owning you,” he said. “I think that attitude is what you need to get through the tough times.”

For Bryson, music also helps him get through the tough times. He has sung in choirs for most of his life and didn’t want his Parkinson’s diagnosis to stop him from doing what he loves.

“There are lots of exercise classes to help you with your motor skills, but there aren’t very many artistic options for Parkinson’s people,” he said. “So, I decided to create Parkinson’s Artisans to provide opportunities for people with Parkinson’s to get some therapeutic value and joy from creating music and creating art.”

Once a week, Bryson meets with the group’s chorale, which is in its second season. He’s able to apply what he has learned in speech therapy to singing, but it also serves as an emotional outlet. 

“If I’m having a really bad day, going to rehearsal makes it turn in to a pretty good day,” Bryson said. “It actually, to me, provides a little bit of a spiritual lift.”

The Parkinson’s Artisans chorale is open to anyone living with the disease, as well as their caregivers. Zlatina Asenova leads the choir and shares Bryson’s passion for music. She wanted to get involved with the Parkinson’s chorale to help share her knowledge with those who could benefit from it. 

“It’s definitely more geared towards having fun and enjoying, versus trying to get to perfection,” Asenova said. “That’s a different side of choir music that we’re not looking for here.”

Health experts say physical exercise is vital to those living with Parkinson’s, but regular vocal activity can also have benefits. 

“Singing can give a patient with Parkinson’s an opportunity to carry over or maintain the things that have been addressed in speech therapy – deep breathing, coordination of breath and their speech, improving the clarity of their speech,” said Leanne Richardson, a speech therapist at HCA Florida Largo Hospital. 

While Bryson’s life has changed in many ways since his Parkinson’s diagnosis, his love of music has not. He wants other people living with the disease to know that they can still live a full life. 

“Just because you have some impairments in your walk or your speech or even your cognitive thinking, you can still go out and make music and you can get the joy and experience of creating good music,” Bryson said. “That’s an option that’s still there.”

Right now, it’s a small but mighty chorus. Bryson would eventually like to have between 20 to 30 singers.