Amplify Each Voice

Violinist, educator, and disability advocate Adrian Anantawan, Ed.M.'12, will perform a recital at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on July 26 to mark the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The 1990 civil rights law banned discrimination against people with disabilities. Over the weekend, Anantawan, who was born without a right hand and plays the violin using an adaptive device, will also perform at the same venue alongside other musicians with disabilities including the winners of this year’s VSA International Young Musicians Award.

In a conversation ahead of the ADA anniversary celebrations, Anantawan explained why he believes that “excellence for those who have disabilities shouldn't be exceptional, but something that is a universal right.”

How important are the performances at the Kennedy Center for raising awareness about the achievements of disabled musicians?

The arts are always an incredible way to be able to share unique stories and to be able to humanize people with disabilities, in particular to show capability and excellence, but also advocate for these stories to not be the exception to the rule. I think that a lot of folks who we will see on stage, myself included, are the result of many good things coming together, perhaps despite systems that have worked against us. We can encourage teachers or adults to see that there are many ways to be able to engage people with disabilities in music.

Can you tell me a bit about what you will perform? 

I'll be doing a mix of small pieces for violin and piano. So, some works that have been near to me for the past couple of decades, from some George Gershwin arrangements, an Austrian violinist named Fritz Kreisler, and a female composer named Amy Beach. And [I’ll] play a little bit of music with other people with disabilities. I'll play a piece by Johann Sebastian Bach. I'll play it with a blind violinist - her name is Julia LaGrand - who actually is going to Harvard next year for the dual degree program. I've worked with her in the past. And then, with the rest of the winners [of the VSA International Young Musicians Award], we're trying to put together some type of encore, to be able to do something that really involves not only myself, but a collection of musicians with disabilities working together to amplify each other's voices. 

How do you encourage other musicians with disabilities? 

Folks with disabilities are generally those who have really figured out a lot on their own, they're highly adaptable. Being able to carve out a space for themselves to express their disability identity in a way that feels comfortable is always the hardest part. There are some folks who want to really not talk about it or mention it at all and there are some people who really want to share their story. And, for me, it's just finding what type of expression they're trying to find in their art form and hopefully finding ways that we can connect these musicians together. I think that's the biggest thing for me, just finding networks and knowing that you're not alone in this journey.

As an educator, are there things that you do proactively to create a sense of community with the other musicians that you work with, particularly young musicians? 

There are three aspects to it, in my book. There's creating accessible environments to make sure that everyone can actually adequately participate in the classroom. So, if you have folks who are on the autism spectrum, for instance, that might require understanding the environment in terms of noise or [using] reminders on a wall about what the structure of a classroom might be. The other part is tools. For me, I use an adaptation to be able to hold the bow and for others it might be some modification to an instrument that allows them to participate. And then the final one, which I think is the most important, is the attitudes that you convey in the classroom. And just understand that every young learner who has a disability has untapped potential - the more that you can see that and encourage that journey for them, we're really creating a space where people can not only play music, but also thrive.