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Jeremy Giovinazzo as Pepper in MammaMia

Finding on Stage
BALANCE

eremy Giovinazzo remembers having a rough time in high untreated. Realizing things weren’t working for him, Jeremy sought
school. He was struggling with several learning disorders, help. “I went to this place called Brain Balance. It’s a place where
Jincluding ADHD and a sensory processing disorder coupled people on the spectrum seek help,” he said. At Brain Balance, Jeremy
with anxiety and depression. His only success was being cast in completed a three-month treatment and learned that dancing and
a high school musical. “I got the main character in The Music Man,” listening to music can help coordinate the brain and improve
he said. “I quit every sport I was in so that I could perform because I function in people experiencing cognitive disabilities like his.
was so excited about the show.” Despite his success on stage, Jeremy
dropped out of high school. His issues remained undiagnosed and

40 Life in Naples | January 2020