Down Syndrome Concert

Malcolm G. Campbell ’10 and his brother Graham were playing the piano in Quincy one day when a friend walked in. “It was so eye-opening for him to see my brother and me making music together,” Malcolm says. Graham, who is diagnosed with Down Syndrome, has been playing piano since childhood. This Sunday, he and Malcolm will both perform in the Down Syndrome Awareness Seminar and Concert, which will take place in the Adams House Lower Common Room.

The event, which celebrates the passions and talents of individuals with Down Syndrome, will feature Campbell, who is a jazz pianist, as well as his brother Graham and Katharine Breunig, who also has Down Syndrome. Graham Campbell, now 22, has been playing piano since the age of 8. He also arranges popular music. According to Malcolm, his brother demonstrates an insatiable passion for music. “[Graham] has amazing concentration and discipline... he would always practice more than me,” he says.

Both Graham and Malcolm studied under the same piano teacher, Sayuri Miyamoto, for 10 years. According to Malcolm, the aptitude Graham has shown for piano playing has been immensely fulfilling for him. “[Graham] has a lot of confidence and pride in what he’s doing,” Malcolm says. Graham, a senior studying piano at Berkshire Hills Music Academy, had a “You’re at college; well, I’m at college too” attitude about visiting his brother at Harvard.

This Sunday’s concert will feature the Campbell brothers, who will play a few interpretations of songs from “The Little Mermaid,” “Sleeping Beauty,” and the musical, “My Fair Lady.” Graham’s performance, as well as that of his classmate Katharine, emphasizes that individuals with Down Syndrome can be independent. “We really believe a lot in self-advocacy and not just having [individuals with Down Syndrome] be a passive part of the event,” Malcolm says. Together with two other individuals with Down Syndrome, Katharine and Graham will form a panel to discuss what life with the disorder is like.

The Down Syndrome Awareness Seminar and Concert is intended as both an educational and uplifting event. “For people who are familiar with Down Syndrome, and for people who are completely unfamiliar,” Malcolm says, “[the concert] will open their eyes to people who are doing well and have really rich lives.”