Berklee's Trailblazing Music Inclusion Ensemble Debuts at Berklee Performance Center

Berklee's Trailblazing Music Inclusion Ensemble Debuts at Berklee Performance Center Led by Adrian Anantawan and Gaelynn Lea, this free concert highlights the talents of disabled musicians from across the Berklee community.

By

Daniel Pesquera

March 20, 2025

Berklees Music Inclusion Ensemble elevates the unique artistry of musicians with disabilities.

Elizabeth Friar

The Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education presents the Music Inclusion Ensemble in its debut appearance at the Berklee Performance Center on Saturday, April 12, at 7:00 p.m. This free public concert will feature original works and performances by professional musicians, students from the ensemble and the BIAAE, and the ensemble's cofounders, Gaelynn Lea and Adrian Anantawan.

A cast of 16 disabled musicians from various programs and initiatives has come together for this production, celebrating a wide range of contributions from the disability community. The concert program spans from Beethoven's classical works to an expanded arrangement of Lea's composition Bird Song, performed by the ensemble and Cambridge Common Voices, a community chorus of young adults with diverse learning challenges.

I am so excited to be joining forces with the Music Inclusion Ensemble once more, said Lea, who gained national recognition after winning NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest in 2016. It is the perfect vehicle to showcase the adaptability, creative genius, and inclusion that are inherent in disability culture. Its a delight to watch this fabulous ensemble grow and evolve. I am so grateful to Adrian for bringing all of us together.

The show will also feature covers of popular songs, including Coldplay's Clocks, Carly Rae Jepsen's Symphony, and OneRepublic's Counting Stars, arranged by Connor Valcy, one of the ensemble's first students, who will also perform an original composition. In addition, BIAAE student Kai Levin's arrangements of Send Me Your Children, an original piece inspired by the invasion of Ukraine, and Cyndi Lauper's True Colors will be performed by the ensemble alongside Cambridge Common Voices and the BIAAE's Inner Harmony Ensemble chorus. Other featured performers include cellist and poet Kei Otake; blind violinist and disability advocate Julia LaGrand; and acclaimed cellist Adam Walden.

Music Inclusion Ensemble cofounder and violinist Adrian Anantawan.

Elizabeth Friar

It is an honor to have the opportunity to perform with these incredible musicians at the Berklee Performance Center and to showcase the artistic achievements of the members of the Music Inclusion Ensemble and the larger community, said Anantawan, an associate professor of violin at Berklee who has performed for the Pope, the Dalai Lama, and at the White House. The growth we've seen in this group in the two years since we started has been incredible. It's been very special for me to watch so many students showcase and embrace their disabilities, not for how it defines but rather how it distinguishes their brand of musicianship.

Founded in 2023, the Music Inclusion Ensemble places disability at the heart of its performances, compositions, and commissioned works, fostering an environment where disabled artists can collaborate and celebrate their identities as integral to their artistry. The ensemble's long-term mission is to cultivate a network of accomplished artists who mentor and inspire the next generation, creating a more inclusive and visible culture at the intersection of music and disability. Listen to a recent feature on the ensemble from NPR's World Cafe.

We are honored to present this concert of the Music Inclusion Ensemble at the Berklee Performance Center, said Dr. Rhoda Bernard, founder and managing director of the BIAAE and assistant chair of music education. The talent of our student performers and the efforts of brilliant advocates like Adrian, Gaelynn, and so many others to elevate this community deserve to be recognized and celebrated. We are excited for our students at the Institute for Accessible Arts Education to have a chance to bring their work to life in this amazing production.

The Music Inclusion Ensemble with Gaelynn Lea takes place Saturday, April 12, at 7:00 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center. Tickets to the free concert are available online and at the Berklee box office at 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston.

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