Matthew Whitaker and I have a percentage in common.
Like me, the noted pianist, who has conducted at such famous venues as Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theatre, was born three months late and weighed less than 2 pounds. Additionally, due to his prematurity, doctors gave Whitaker a survival rate of less than 50% and diagnosed him with retinopathy of prematurity. It was this last diagnosis that caused his blindness. He began playing music at age 3, training himself to play children’s songs on a keyboard his grandfather gave him. At the age of 5, Whitaker began playing classical piano.
In a recent interview with me via video conference, Whitaker, 23, explained that he was 7 years old when he approached jazz. His father played it on the radio, which made such a deep impression on the aspiring musician that the jazz genre has since remained his “favorite genre to play and pay attention to. “Whitaker, who has been traveling since he was 11 years old, has also played other instruments such as drums, bass, clarinet, etc. His first performance at an exhibition in Japan.
“I’ve been able to tour the world, play concerts with my band and share my talent with others,” Whitaker said. “It’s an honor. “
Naturally, generation plays a big role in Whitaker’s personal and professional endeavors. He told me that “the most important thing for him” is that the products are available. He echoed a sentiment shared by many other people who have made impressions in this column over the years, telling me that accessibility is anything that benefits not just him as a disabled user, but everyone, regardless of their skills. To that end, Whitaker is an avid provider of data to enterprises and software developers; It’s vital to him that the other people who build those things know how available they are. A blind user like him, he says, uses a screen reader most of the time to navigate his computer and so on. He called the feedback loop “always fun” and added that he is lately joining Apple and other tech corporations in their efforts to create more of the generation available to him and all other people with disabilities.
When asked about the accessibility of certain musical tools, Whitaker said his experience was that (in)accessibility depends on how the tool is handled. As a blind person, he relies on physical contact to identify use cases, and tells me that if he discovers that a tool lacks physical controls, he stops to think about what he can do to compensate for its “limited functionality” given his lack of vision. . On the other hand, tools like pianos, keyboards, and organs, all of which are very tactile, are more conducive to Whitaker’s desires and modus operandi in that “everything is really physical, so you can manipulate it in real time. ” and be expressive. ” Elsewhere, Whitaker said that he is an avid user of screen readers, since gestures and voice output make it possible to navigate his computing devices. He reiterated his earlier point about the need for developers to embrace accessibility, calling it a “win-win” for everyone. In the end, designing for the margins improves the masses.
Technologically, Whitaker himself is Apple’s main user. He uses everything from an iPhone to an Apple Watch, all of which use Apple’s venerable and acclaimed VoiceOver screen reader.
“I need to make sure that developers know how [other blind people] use what we use,” Whitaker said. “And also raise awareness because there are still other people who don’t know how we use [the technology]. “
In situations where other healthy people question his ability to act because of his lack of ability, Whitaker was candid, saying that he “does everything he can to get through it. “His opinion is that if someone else does it, so does he. In a post airing Apple’s new short film, The Relay, Whitaker told me he’s willing to tell others who doubt him that “we’re looking to achieve the same goal. “Regarding the fact that musical tools are the wonderful equalizer, Whitaker believes that the representation of other people with disabilities “is coming” and “is definitely improving,” but warned that “there is still a long way to go. “He added that the fact is that most people are still “learning. “”How other people with disabilities do certain things, like gamble music or use a smartphone. AsArray’s accessibility awareness is still relevant.
As for the future, Whitaker said he has a few goals in mind. He would love to continue composing music, especially film soundtracks. He would also like to continue serving as a musical director and producer, not only for his own benefit, but also for that of other artists. Being able to demonstrate versatility is vital for Whitaker and he tells me that “you have to know how to navigate all those types of scenarios. “It’s one thing to produce your own material; It’s another thing to mix, master, and design for someone else. Whitaker rarely gives up on his own dreams, but for him it is vital to “grow in any and all imaginable scenarios. “
Whitaker would love to make more tribute albums, most notably his most recent titled On Their Shoulders: An Organ Tribute. He also hopes to release more albums with pianists, keyboardists and drummers. He has finished an assignment in which he wrote the music for a new dance. for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre that will debut in December. Of course, there will be many more presentations, and they will be added in India in November. Whitaker told me he was “really excited” to take advantage of the opportunity in India.
“I’m grateful to still be here and to be able to do what I love,” he said.
A community. Many voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
Our network aims to connect others through open and thoughtful conversations. We need our readers to share their perspectives and exchange ideas and facts in one space.
To do so, please comply with the posting regulations in our site’s terms of use. Below we summarize some of those key regulations. In short, civilians.
Your message will be rejected if we realize that it seems to contain:
User accounts will be blocked if we become aware that users are engaged in:
So, how can you be a user?
Thank you for reading our Community Standards. Read the full list of publication regulations discovered in our site’s terms of use.