Quarterly - Winter 2026

Empowering individuals of all ages

to pursue their interest and study of music

while addressing the challenges posed by vision loss.

Exciting New Year

Last week, I had the privilege of sharing the FMDG story on Capitol Hill, and I can tell you there is nothing quite like watching people light up when they hear about a school that has been transforming lives through music for over a century, and whose community includes an alumnus that just added a Grammy to that legacy. Congratulations to our own Matthew Whitaker, who took home the Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella! Matthew's achievement is the latest chapter in a story that is constantly being written and rewritten by the creativity, innovation, and hard work of our faculty, students, and staff, and by the dedication of our students' families, FMDG board members, and donors. As we look ahead, we're gearing up for a busy spring with our 20th Annual Performathon on March 14 and our milestone 25th Fil at the Met concert on April 25. There is so much to celebrate, and so much more to come.

Rob's signature of his first name in his own handwriting.

Dr. Robert Derke

Executive Director

FMDG Teams Up with Recording Academy

FMDG Music School has been designated a Recording Academy Accessibility + Disability (RAA+D) Community Partner! In addition to producing the Grammys, the Academy is committed to accessibility in music, and we are proud to partner with them to serve musicians with vision loss.

Check out the RAA+D post on social media recognizing the amazing work of our students, faculty, and staff.

Alumnus Wins Grammy!

The torso of Matthew Whitaker. He is wearing dark glasses and a dark suit. He is holding his hands up palm to palm in front of him.

FMDG Alumnus Matthew Whitaker won a 2026 Grammy Award!

Matthew is a multifaceted artist who has been part of the FMDG Music School community since he starting taking piano lessons at the age of five.

Matthew won a Grammy for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, for “Super Mario Praise Break”. Check it out here.

National Endowment for the Arts

FMDG is proud to announce that we received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

Together with the Lavelle Fund for the Blind, the Edwin Caplin Foundation, and The New York Community Trust, the NEA is funding our project: "Defining Music Accessibility in Higher Education for Students with Vision Loss." The project’s goals include the development of a compendium of best practices that will be used as a guide in higher education schools when working with music students with blindness and vision loss.

On January 28th, FMDG hosted a consortium of higher education administrators, faculty, and offices of accessibility from eight institutions, including Berklee College of Music, CUNY (Queens and Hunter Colleges), The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, NYU, Rowan University, Rutgers University, and VisionServe Alliance.

The Fil in Iowa

The Fil has expanded west! After launching the program in January 2026, FMDG staff member Pablo Rodriguez teaches an online instrumental music class to ten students, ages 8 to 16, in Iowa. This weekly program is presented in partnership with the Iowa Department for the Blind.

The coordinator in Iowa had the following feedback: "I wanted to reach out while the joy of our first session is still fresh... last night was such a hit." She added that "one of the students was recently told that she couldn't participate in her school band because she was blind, so seeing her sitting there in your class, full of excitement and ready to learn just thrilled my heart."

The Fil has so much to offer, and our goal is to share our mission with as many students as possible wherever they might be!

Signature Events Coming Soon!

20th Anniversary Performathon
Saturday, March 14, 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Adults and kids come together for a wonderful afternoon of performances to raise money for their beloved FMDG! Attend in person at the 92Y in NYC or watch the Performathon online and support our students by making a donation here.

25th Fil at the Met Concert

Saturday, April 25, 6:00 PM

The highlight concert of the year! Join us at The Metropolitan Museum of Art for an evening of beautiful music and accessible artwork as we present a concert celebrating the theme of Family. The livestream link will be available in April.

Our full calendar of events can be found here.

Faculty and Staff Performances

Anthony Vine speaking to an audience and gesturing with his hand. He is wearing a vertically striped short-sleeved collared shirt. The stripes are white, blue, red, and green in varying widths.

FMDG faculty member Anthony Vine will be performing at an S.E.M concert of new scores by emerging composers on February 18 at 8:00 PM at Willow Place Auditorium in Brooklyn Heights.

Anthony will be presenting his newest work, Cantus, in a program of seven emerging composers.

More information about this free concert can be found here.

FMDG staff member Michelle Trovato will be performing at the 10th Annual SongSLAM on February 21 at 7:30 PM at Symphony Space.

Michelle will sing the world premiere of “Winter Stars” by Clint Borzoni, set to text by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Sara Teasdale.

More information is available on the Symphony Space website.

Your support and friendship is very important to us.

Thank you for being

a Friend of the Fil!

Learn about the many ways to support our students here and make a donation today!

FMDGmusicschool.org