Unbroken: Making Disabled Music and Creating Accessible Spaces by Infinity Willner
From Infinity -
This essay is a conversation between my identity as a Disabled person and as a Musician. I tell my story of coming to terms with my disability label, and I discuss the Social Model of Disability as an empowering communication tool when discussing the marginalization of the Disabled community. In the end, I offer some ideas for how we can be more inclusive as musicians and artists.
This article was first published on I CARE IF YOU LISTEN on November 11, 2020 and has been shared with permission from the author. I CARE IF YOU LISTEN is an editorially-independent publication of the American Composers Forum. Visit the original publication here.
Infinity Willner (they/them) is a performer and educator who believes in the uniquely joyful experience of musical creation. Through collaboration and experimentation within many performance contexts, they believe in breaking down the traditional barriers between audiences and performers. As a teacher, they believe that all students are unique learners who deserve to be taught in the ways that are most comfortable for them, always emphasizing fun and creativity.
Current projects include collaborating with beloved Baltimore singer/songwriter, Christen B. Taylor on her new album, entitled “I am Here,” set to come out within the next year. They are also a founding member of Balagan with violinist Audrey Maxner, where they focus on a wide variety of artistic creation, including multimedia collaborations with animators, dancers, painters, poets, and composers. In collaboration with dancer Jillian Sinko and animator Eloise Fassler, Balagan is the recipient of the Kennedy Center “Art Under a Minute” grant, which supports artists in their quest to use social media as a platform for artistic processing and audience engagement.
Infinity is currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Guitar Performance and Guitar Pedagogy at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University under Julian Gray's mentorship. They will begin their studies at the Shenandoah Conservatory in the Music Therapy department in Fall 2021. They are thrilled to have a private studio of brilliant students of all ages and backgrounds at the Harmonic Music Studios in Washington, DC.
Follow Infinity on instagram and twitter: @finplaysguitar
Email Infinity: infinity.willner@gmail.com
organized by Christina Fiol
TESJI Resource Committee Member