Before anyone writes a song together or stands behind a microphone, SongSight begins with something much simpler.

It begins with blind musicians finding one another.

 

For Candice Sipe, that gift came at exactly the right time.

 

Candice lived with a rare genetic condition, Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome, and spent much of her life navigating significant health challenges with remarkable faith, resilience, and joy. Music had always been part of her story, but as she and her twin sister Crystal arrived at SongSight, neither of them knew how meaningful that weekend would become.

 

Just weeks later, Candice passed away unexpectedly.

 

As we remember her life with gratitude, her own words remind us why creative spaces like SongSight matter so much.

 

“With everything going on with my health, I really needed this retreat more than I even realized at the time. I did not realize how much it would become a space for connection, confidence-building, and mutual support.”

 

She expected a music retreat, but what she received was so much more. That’s the heartbeat of SongSight.

 

Music brings everyone into the same space. But friendship transforms each individual and empowers them to leave bolder than when they came. And those friendships didn’t end with the retreat.

 

Now, as Crystal walks through the unimaginable loss of her twin sister, the SongSight family continues to walk beside her in love and encouragement.

Crystal remembers that same sense of belonging from the very first moments of the retreat.

 

“The support, prayers, and encouragement we received felt like being surrounded by family,” she shared.

 

That is part of the beautiful legacy Candice leaves behind and Crystal carries on – building a community that celebrates together, creates together, carries one another’s burdens, and continues showing up in good times and hard times.

 

Candice’s own words put it best and echo in our hearts.

 

“I felt present, uplifted, and able to step into a creative atmosphere that felt healing in its own way,” she said. “I am forever grateful I was able to be there.”

 

So are we. We are grateful that Candice shared her voice, her faith, and her gentle spirit with the SongSight family.

 

And we are grateful that while her earthly song has reached its conclusion, its eternal impact has just begun.