A visually-impaired pianist has graduated as the Foundation 7 Music School’s top student this year.
That young man is Adelphian Adams, who successfully completed the courses in learning to play the keyboard.
School administrators noted that Adams gained perfect scores throughout the programme, which began earlier this year, and he excelled beyond expectations.
Adams told Sunday Stabroek that he was born with an extreme love and passion for music, which led him to pursue it without letting his impairment stop him. The man explained that his love for the piano came from one of his role models, his older brother, who is also a pianist. “I really loved the way he would play the piano and from listening to music, I paid a lot of attention to the piano part of the music and so my love for that had grown tremendously,” he said, explaining the start of his own journey towards becoming a pianist.
Adams went on to say that he found out about courses offered at the Foundation 7 Music School after having difficulties playing certain songs at a funeral. He said that though he did not have complete knowledge of the piano, he would still play from time to time. Adams said that at the funeral service the congregation was singing songs and he did not know how to play the accompanying music. He added that through a pastor who was present at the funeral, he was put into contact with the local music school.
Adams subsequently enquired if the school had tutors who were skilled in teaching persons with disabilities and more specifically the visually-impaired. He noted that he ended up having two tutors throughout his programme and he said that they were very patient and worked well with him. “The other students… learned from the blackboard while I had to depend on memory a whole lot. They had to create ways to teach me and come up with strategies to teach me,” he said.
Sharon Sulaman, the Administrator at the Foundation 7 Music School, noted that visually-impaired persons learn to play various instruments through touch and memory. She stated that one method with which they can learn to read the music would be through Braille (a form of written language for visually impaired persons in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with the fingertips) so that the music and chords can be played correctly. It was also noted that Adams’ visual impairment may have caused his sense of hearing to become keener.
When asked how he felt after finding out he completed the course as the top student, Adams stated that he did not know how to explain it. “I didn’t even know that I had topped the class but I felt really great, I felt like I had accomplished something,” he said happily.
The young pianist, who practised during the courses by using a keyboard that he borrowed, is now seeking to have his own Yamaha Motif Keyboard so that he can continue to develop his skills and continue playing.
The Foundation 7 Music School, which has been providing music education for almost 13 years, hosted its graduation ceremony on Friday, November 29th at Parc Rayne.
