>>>
>>> THE
>>> THE FOLLOWING IS SPONSORED BY.
BY.
BY. FOR
BY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE
WEBSITE ON YOUR SCREEN.
>> ALL RIGHT, IT'S FRIDAY.
TIME FOR OUR DMV SOUNDTRACK.
WE CANNOT HEADBANDS IN THE
STUDIO, WE WANT TO BRING YOU
THE AMAZING PERFORMERS AND
ARTISTS WE HAVE HAD ON OUR
SHOW.
SHOW.
SHOW. ESPECIALLY WHILE -- WILEY DEAL
WITH THIS TIME OF ADVERSITY.
WE INTERVIEWED A YOUNG MAN,
MATTHEW WHITAKER, WHO STARTED
LEARNING THE PIANO AT THE AGE
OF 30.
OF 30.
OF 30. HE
OF 30. HE WENT ON TO TOUR ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND ABROAD.
HERE'S THE THING, HE IS LEGALLY
BLIND.
BLIND.
BLIND. >>
BLIND. >> SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> YOU ARE 18 YEARS OLD.
YOU HAVE BEEN PLAYING THE MOST
AMAZING STAGES EVERYWHERE.
THE APOLLO THEATER.
FOR AUDIENCE AT HOME, YOU WERE
BORN BLIND.
BORN BLIND. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> HOW DID YOU FIGURE OUT HOW
TO PLAY THE PIANO?
>> MY GRANDFATHER IS THE ONE
WHO STARTED THIS.
AT TWO YEARS OLD, HE GAVE ME MY
FIRST KEYBOARD.
FIRST KEYBOARD. I TAUGHT MYSELF MOSTLY BY
HEARING.
HEARING.
HEARING. AT FIVE, I STARTED TAKING PIANO
LESSONS.
LESSONS.
LESSONS. >> WAS THE FIRST NURSERY RHYME
YOU LEARNED?
YOU LEARNED? >> TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR.
>> IS A GOOD ONE TO START WITH.
YOU HAVE BEEN PERFORMING EVER
SINCE.
SINCE.
SINCE. YOU ARE JUST SO TALENTED.
YOU OPENED FOR STEVIE WONDER.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. IT WAS REALLY AMAZING.
I GOT A CHANCE TO MEET HIM AND
HIS IN HIS DRESSING ROOM.
HE GAVE ME HARMONICA.
>> HOW OLD WERE YOU?
>> I THINK 10.
>> OH MY CASH.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE MEETING
SOMEBODY LIKE HIM?
HE HAS BEEN SUCH AN
INSPIRATION, HOW DID HE AFFECT
YOU?
YOU?
YOU? WHAT
YOU? WHAT DID HE SAY TO YOU?
>> I DID NOT GET A CHANCE TO
TALK THAT MUCH.
IT WAS LIKE A FEW MINUTES OR
HOURS BEFORE SOPHISTICATE ON
STAGE AND PLAY.
>> HE WANTED TO KEEP YOU IN THE
ZEN.
ZEN.
ZEN. >>
ZEN. >> THAT HAD TO BE AMAZING TO
MEET SOMEBODY THAT HAS OVERCOME
SOMETHING LIKE YOU HAVE.
>> ALL RIGHT, YOUR NEW MUSIC
COMING OUT.
COMING OUT. >> AUGUST 9.
>> WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?
WHAT SONGS, WHAT STYLE?
>> IT IS JAZZ, LATIN, R&B,
FUNK, EVEN GOSPELS ON THIS.
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. >> BEFORE WE LET YOU PERFORM, I
WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS,
YOU ARE HEADING TO JULLIARD
THIS FALL.
THIS FALL. CONGRATULATIONS.
CONGRATULATIONS. YOU ARE THE FIRST BLIND STUDENT
THAT THEY'VE HAD IN THE HISTORY
OF THE PROGRAM.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GO THERE?
ASIDE FROM BEING JULLIARD?
X I WANTED -- I WANT TO EXPAND
[INDISCERNIBLE].
[INDISCERNIBLE]. I WANT TO EXPAND ON PIANO AND
JAZZ PIANO.
JAZZ PIANO. I'M THE FIRST BLIND STUDENT IN
THE JAZZ STUDIES PROGRAM.
I AM SUPER EXCITED, A LITTLE
NERVOUS.
NERVOUS.
NERVOUS. >> IT'S A BIG CITY.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS.
>> WHAT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT.
ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE, WHAT
ARE YOU GOING TO PLAY TODAY?
>> IT'S AN ORIGINAL SONG THAT I
WROTE.
WROTE.
WROTE. IT'S ON MY NEW RECORD.
>> WE HAVE AUGUST 9, HERE'S
MATTHEW WHITAKER, EVERYBODY.
TAKE IT AWAY WHEN YOU'RE READY.
[MUSIC]
[MUSIC]
>>
>> IS
>> IS AND
>> IS AND HE AMAZING? SO GOOD.
SO GOOD.
SO GOOD. MATTHEW WHITAKER, AS YOU HEARD,
HE'S IN COLLEGE.
HE JUST FINISHED A TOUR AND
GERMANY.
GERMANY.
GERMANY. THE GREAT THING IS, SCIENTISTS
ARE SO AMAZED BY HIS ABILITY
THAT THEY ARE STARTING TO DADDY
HIS BRAIN.
HIS BRAIN. THEY REALLY WANT TO SEE WHAT IT
IS ABOUT MUSIC THAT CAN HELP
SOMEBODY LIKE HIM.
>> JUST WATCHING HIM PLAY, YOU
LEARNED A DIFFERENT WAY.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME ON
AND PERFORM, SEND US A SAMPLE
OF YOUR TALENT WE HAVE THIS
HONOR WEBSITE.
HONOR WEBSITE. YOU CAN GO TO WUSA9,COM.
YOU CAN COME ON,