Matthew Whitaker (pianist)
 | This article, Matthew Whitaker (pianist), has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
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| This article, Matthew Whitaker (pianist), has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: Inform author |
| This article, Matthew Whitaker (pianist), has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: Inform author |
| This article, Matthew Whitaker (pianist), has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: Inform author |
Comment: As noted by previous reviewers and commenters, the citations here aren't quite there yet. Please review the previous comments, and the discussion on the talk page to make sure you are addressing all their concerns. Thank you! Waggie (talk) 03:21, 22 May 2017 (UTC)
- Comment: I did a substantial edit on the article but I stopped after the Early life and education section. It needs to be completed and the performances and awards section needs to be cited. JSFarman (talk) 15:01, 30 April 2017 (UTC)
- Comment: Regarding the recently-added USA Today link, the use of a bare URL is misleading, because it masks the fact that the article was not published in USA Today. Instead, it was published in a North New Jersey local paper that happens to be a member of the USA Today Network. More detail is on the Talk page. NewYorkActuary (talk) 13:24, 19 April 2017 (UTC)
- Comment: Examining here, it would simply not be enough and we would need all additional major independent news. SwisterTwister talk 16:02, 1 April 2017 (UTC)
- Comment: A discussion has been started on this draft's Talk page. NewYorkActuary (talk) 14:52, 21 February 2017 (UTC)
- Comment: These references are not from major sources and therefore mean this person doesn't meet the notability guidelines. Qaei ☎ 10:49, 17 February 2017 (UTC)
- Comment: Basically major reviews as they're what specifically helps here, and even a large amount of local news stories here (such as for the child news story), it's simply not enough for notability. SwisterTwister talk 04:10, 17 February 2017 (UTC)
- Comment: The two added now are still too focused as a simple local news story; in this case, it's major reviews what will help. SwisterTwister talk 02:32, 17 February 2017 (UTC)
- Comment: Unfortunately, they're still not significant as they're too focused as announcements and mentions, for example, the NJ.com is simply a local news story for a local child musician. SwisterTwister talk 02:19, 17 February 2017 (UTC)
- Comment: Not satisfying our simplest standards. SwisterTwister talk 02:07, 17 February 2017 (UTC)
Matthew Whitaker | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 3, 2001 Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instrument(s) | Piano Organ |
| Website | www |
Matthew Whitaker (born on April 3, 2001) is an American jazz pianist. Blind since birth, he has performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center and the Apollo Theater, where, at 10, he opened for Stevie Wonder.[1][2][3] Whitaker is the subject of Thrive, a 13-minute documentary about "the prodigious talent and irrepressible spirit of a musically precocious 12-year-old blind boy." [4]
Early life and education
Whitaker was born in Hackensack, New Jersey to May and Moses Whitaker. Born three months prematurely, he weighed less than two pounds, and was given a 50 percent chance of survival. He was later diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which caused his blindness. On his third birthday, he played "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" on a toy Yamaha keyboard he had received as a birthday present. Whitaker had heard the song and played it by ear..[5]
Whitaker began taking piano lessons when he was 5 as the youngest student at Lighthouse International, a New York school for the blind and visually impaired. With perfect pitch, he learned to play piano mainly by listening, although he learned to read Braille music as well. He later studied at The Harlem School of the Arts, and in addition to taking lessons in classical and jazz piano, he learned to play the organ, percussion instruments, the clarinet and bass guitar. At 9, he earned the support of the Jazz Foundation of America, and as a teenager, he attended the Manhattan School of Music’s Pre-College Jazz program.[3][6]
Career
[6][7] On March 6, 2017, Whitaker released his first album, Outta the Box. Other musicians on the album include Christian McBride, Dave Stryker, Will Calhoun, Sammy Figueroa, Melissa Walker, and James Carter.[3] He appeared on the Ellen Degeneres Show in April 2017.
Notable Performances
Matthew performed on the Ellen Degeneres Show in April 2017.[8]. He was the 1st place winner on “Showtime at the Apollo” hosted by Steve Harvey for Fox TV.[9] [10]He was also the opening performer for Stevie Wonder’s induction into the Apollo Theater's Legends Hall of Fame as a 9 year old “Amateur Night Child Stars of Tomorrow” winning participant. Matthew has performed with a multitude of musicians, including Ray Chew, Christian McBride, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Rhoda Scott, Jon Batiste, Cory Henry, Marc Cary, Arturo O’Farrill, James Carter, Roy Ayers, D.D. Jackson, and Wayne Brady. Some of the other venues he has played are the UN Youth Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, San Francisco Jazz Center, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Raymond F. Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, FL, Ali Cultural Arts Center in Pompano Beach, FL, Vienne in France, Capri in Italy, Tetouan in Morocco, and Tokyo and Osaka in Japan.
Awards
- Showtime at the Apollo, First place winner, 2016
- Outstanding Soloist Award, Essentially Ellington Jazz Band Competition and Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center
- Outstanding Soloist Award, Charles Mingus HS Competition and Festival
- Most Remarkable Young Person on Screen, Harlem International Film Festival
References
- ^ Facer, Brooke (April 26, 2017). "The Clean Cut: Blind teenage piano virtuoso's incredible performance on 'Ellen'". Deseret News. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ Levine, Cecilia (April 27, 2017). "Blind Hackensack Pianist Prodigy Performs On Ellen DeGeneres Show". Hackensack Daily Voice. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ a b c Beckerman, Jim (April 15, 2017). "Blind N.J. piano prodigy draws comparisons to Stevie Wonder". USA Today Network via Bergen County Record. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ "Thrive". sebatapolfilm.com. Sabastopol Film Festival. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ Applebaum, Aliza (March 5, 2011). "691 shares Hackensack boy, 9, is blind but can play a song perfectly after hearing it once". Star-Ledger. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ a b Delikat, Stacey (November 6, 2015). "Jazz House Kids helps young musicians dream". Fox News (New York). Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ West, Michael J. (April 5, 2017). "Concert Review: 2017 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Is this the last one? Trump's FY2018 budget proposal eliminates the NEA". Jazz Times. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ http://www.ellentv.com/2017/04/26/shutterfly-has-a-huge-surprise-for-blind-pianist/
- ^ FOX (5 December 2016). "Matthew Whitaker's Piano Performance Wins Over The Audience - SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO" – via YouTube.
- ^ "Matthew Whitaker Channels Stevie Wonder in Stunning 'Showtime at the Apollo' Performance (Watch) - EURweb". 6 December 2016.
External links
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