Photo Flash: Blind and Visually Impaired Students Bring THE RHYTHM OF LIFE to The Metropolitan Museum Of Art

Seventeen-year old rising jazz star and music student Matthew Whitaker joined other students who are also blind or visually impaired from Lighthouse Guild's Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School to perform in a concert at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday, May 18, at 7pm in the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium.

Since 1997 Lighthouse Guild's music school and The Metropolitan Museum of Art have been collaborating to provide individuals who are blind or visually impaired the opportunity to experience visual art through music. This year's concert featured musical selections inspired by paintings, sculpture and photographs. Actress Michelle Hurst, formerly of the show "Orange is the New Black" and starring in the Off-Broadway production of "Babette's Feast," provided narration for the program, including verbal descriptions of the works of art.

The selected musical repertoire showcased a wide variety of genres and styles, representing the best of the students with performances featuring music school soloists, vocal ensemble, pop/rock group, youth ensembles and movement by choreographer/dancer Mana Hashimoto.

The concert was entitled "The Rhythm of Life" and was free with Museum admission.

About Lighthouse Guild

Lighthouse Guild is the leading organization dedicated to addressing and preventing vision loss. We provide integrated, coordinated services and programs that address eye health and the needs of people with, or at risk for, vision loss. Lighthouse Guild's Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School, founded in 1913, is a music school for people who are blind or visually impaired and is dedicated to helping individuals pursue their interest and study of music while addressing the challenges presented by vision loss. For more information, visit Lighthouseguild.org.

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About The Met

The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City-The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since it was founded in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum's galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures. Through its website and social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, The Met expands its visitor experience to people all over the world. For additional information about the Museum, visit www.metmuseum.org.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art welcomes individuals of all abilities to experience the collection and participate in any educational program. The Museum offers a range of tailored programs for visitors with disabilities, including touch and descriptive tours and drawing classes for people who are blind or partially sighted. For information about programs and services for visitors with disabilities, please call 212-650-2010, email access@metmuseum.org, or visit www.metmuseum.org/access.