« African Americans with Disabilities in Honor of Black History Month | Main | NLS Aspiring Leaders Internship Program »
NLS 90th Anniversary Concert With Acclaimed Jazz Pianist
By Alicia Waters | February 1, 2021
Stellar jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker will perform a virtual concert on March 3 to kick off a year-long commemoration of NLS’s 90th anniversary. Whitaker, who has been blind since birth, is an NLS patron who has used the Music Section’s accessible scores and reading materials on his rise to fame.
Photo of Whitaker
Whitaker began playing music at age three when his grandfather bought him a small Yamaha keyboard. At age nine, he began teaching himself to play the Hammond organ and became so proficient that the company endorsed him three years later. He was the youngest artist ever endorsed by Hammond at age 12, and then the youngest endorsed by Yamaha at age 15.
Whitaker’s original compositions have garnered him accolades across the jazz world, including ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards for 2019 and 2020.
In a report on the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes, neuroscientists discussed how Whitaker’s brain is stimulated by music—so much so that his visual cortex lights up when he plays. More on that study.
Like previous NLS concerts that featured José André in 2019 and Justin Kauflin in 2014, this event showcases the NLS Music Section’s work in providing patrons with direct access to the largest collection of braille, audio and large print music materials in the world. Whitaker’s performance, however, will be broadcast online and preceded by a live-streamed interview conducted by NLS Director Karen Keninger.
The concert will begin celebrations of the services provided by NLS since 1931, which will include monthly highlights of the program throughout the year.
For more information about the concert, follow NLS on Facebook, check out the NLS Music Notes blog or visit the Library of Congress Events page.
Gabrielle Barnes, NLS
Topics: News & Info, Programs | No Comments »
Comments are closed.