Conversation with Adrian Anantawan: Disability and Diversity in Classical World

listening to this episode

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure. Here.

Today’s guest Adrian Anantawan is a Canadian violinist who holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music, Yale University, and Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is also the founder of the Music Inclusion Program, which aims to help children with disabilities learn instrumental music with other typical peers.

In this episode, We discuss the diversity needs in the current classical world, technical adaptation in music performance, and how to see strength through our disabilities.

full transcription is available click here to access.

The challenge is finding the technique that works for him and modifying device

how the rehabilitation center made the modification,
with no extension of the arm, which works more organic
as a beginner wasn’t sound great
Slowly finding ways to ways work with the modification
- pizzicato
- not full bow, more bow changes
- 70% bow.
look different, but make sure the sound is as musically as beautiful and compiled as possible

disability helps to tell a unique story.

different way being a musician and soloist.
feel grateful to unique way to producing sound and interpretation
able to see pass how you look

might be challenging in chamber or orchestral setting
tell unique story through music

teachers style & approach to repertoires and goals

big goals are the same & style is the same
then it’s about how to get there, which might involve a little difference in how to achieve it.

technique adaptations in playing:

change in bow speed
more weight at the tip of the bow
in combination with sound point change
taking extra bows
no rep limitation as long as the music intention remains

90% of playing and that’s okay
acknowledgment of other musiciain's challenges like accessibility

core belief and self-worth

being a musician doesn’t have to follow one path.
congenital vs. acquired disability later in life

e.g. Beethoven acquired deafness;
identity shift is the hard part

share the work and explore possibilities
world and our industry needs those things (stories about how to overcome challenges with any disabilities)

be in the community - support system is important

surround better ones but not competitive

"we have different ways to inspire each other"

hurdles in the classical music world to be more inclusive

disabilities can often be invisible.
disabled musician is underreported
needs to be destigmatized
talk about it more and talk about challenges more as a musician

benefits for teaching from disability

understanding that our bodies are all unique
focus on big goals to get there; our bodies are just a way to get there.

Please leave valuable reviews on the forum you are listening on and share your takeaway from today’s episode. More details will be in the show notes on my website, amywangviolin.com/podcast.

Thank you for listening!