Hi everyone! We are so excited to announce that as of May, William Crawford will be joining the team as a new music instructor specializing in drums. Yay! I had the opportunity to interview Will and ask him about his musical journey and to learn more about what he will be bringing to the table. Will is a second semester student at Berklee College who will be majoring in professional music. He has always loved and studied music since we was eight years old. His father was a talented musician as well! Will has always wanted to teach music to others and has worked with many people who have uplifted and inspired him. He is thrilled and honored to be working with Lilly Theatre as his dream of teaching begins to unfold.
Being on the Autism Spectrum has presented its challenges for Will, but he has persevered to become the person he is today. Music has played a major role in his emotional health and personal journey. For Will, "music simplified everything" and offered compassion. As a teacher, he wants to connect with his students through his own experiences and remind them that nobody is alone. When we spoke, he emphasized that he wants us all to "grow together", to connect, to have empathy, and share loving kindness. Just as everything in music is connected with theory and emotion, we, too are all connected as beautiful beings on this Earth.
Will has loved working with Lilly Theatre so far and has enjoyed being a student at Berklee College because of the accepting, open community. He feels welcomed exactly as he is and has found new confidence within himself.
Will also wanted to share advice from one of his former drumming teachers. This was "Don't just become a drummer, become a musician" and to "experiment with music". There is always more to learn and discover. That is one of the magical things about music.
The Lilly Theatre family is growing! I am so grateful to have been able to connect with Will and share some of his story with you.
If you are interested in taking lessons, please email info@lillytheatrecompany.org. :) There's a wonderful new instructor coming soon!
