Simplified: Matthew Whitaker started playing piano as a toddler. Now 24, he's teaching collegiate-level piano as the Augustana University School of Music's inaugural artist-in-residence, and earlier this month, he won a Grammy for Best Arrangement in the instrumental category.

Tell me more

Whitaker, who was born blind, recalls getting a keyboard as a gift and teaching himself nursery rhymes at age 3. By age 5, he was taking lessons to become classically trained in piano and soon expanded to drums and other instruments.

"When I was 7, I got into jazz," Whitaker said. "My dad played it on the radio and ever since then it's been my favorite genre."

By age 10, Whitaker started touring, and he's gone on to graduate from Juilliard and play venues around the world.

He first got connected to Augustana University through his endorsement with Yamaha, and he played in the 2024 Jazz on the Upper Great Plains festival. From there, Augustana's Peter Folliard, who was then dean of the music school, asked him about coming on to teach as an artist-in-residence.

"He's more than a piano teacher," sophomore Adam Brachman said. "He shows us what it's like to have complete mastery over the piano and being able to feel the music."

Tell me more about the Grammy

Whitaker won for his contributions to an arrangement with The 8-Bit Big Band. It's a gospel-style medley featuring songs from Super Mario.

Listen here:

Whitaker recalled listening to the video game music as a kid, and he said he used to memorize how to play Mario.

"Everyone knows that melody," he said.

When the arrangement won the Grammy for Best Arrangement: Instrumental or A Capella, Whitaker was miles away on a cruise ship, where he was touring during the break between semesters at Augie.

"I still can't believe it," he said.

Whitaker said students have been pretty down-to-earth about the big win, but from Brachman's perspective, it's a big deal.

"For the rest of my life I can say I've been taught by a Grammy-winning musician," he said.