By Paul Salfen, Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine
GRAMMY® award-winning keyboardist Casey Harris, best known as a founding member of the hit rock band X Ambassadors, has officially partnered with Vision Through Music®, a groundbreaking program of the Children’s Eye Foundation of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (CEF of AAPOS). The announcement marks a significant step in raising awareness about specialized music education for blind and visually impaired children.
In a recent interview with AMFM Magazine’s Paul Salfen, Harris shared his personal journey and deep passion for the initiative. Born legally blind and raised in Ithaca, New York, Harris grew up in a musical household alongside his brother and bandmate, Sam Harris. Music was never just a hobby—it became the equalizer that gave him confidence, purpose, and a level playing field with his sighted peers.
“I only just found out about this program a couple months ago through our band’s manager, and I can’t believe I hadn’t been associated with it already,” Harris told Salfen. “It just makes so much sense. Music is central to who I am… and for blind or visually impaired kids, there are certain things you’re not going to be able to participate in at the same level as the sighted community. But music is one of those fields where it’s a completely level playing field.”
Harris credited two pivotal teachers for shaping his path: piano instructor Molly McMillan, who taught him to learn music by ear using recordings instead of sheet music, and school music teacher Dora Aniece, who encouraged students to play together and explore different genres. Those experiences—learning chords and melodies by rewinding cassette tapes and jamming in a room with beat-up pianos and old amps—sparked the wordless communication and joy that still drives him today.
“That sort of wordless communication with my fellow musicians on stage and with the audience… just being able to move people with notes you play on an instrument is still miraculous to me,” he said.
The Power of Music Education for the Visually Impaired
Harris emphasized that music provided him not only technical skills but also a profound sense of belonging and possibility. He hopes his story inspires the next generation of blind and visually impaired musicians.
“Practice, focus on music, learn your craft,” he advised aspiring young musicians. “You don’t even have to become a prodigy… And if I was to give one big overarching piece of advice, it would be do it for the love of it. Not for the fame or the money… The music’s always there.”
He also opened up about the realities of touring while blind—loading gear with his brother guiding him, bumping into doorways, and “paying dues” in a stinky van while surviving on eggs and ramen noodles. Those challenges, he said, built resilience and strengthened the bond with his bandmates.
Bradley Black, MD, founder of Vision Through Music® and a retired pediatric ophthalmologist, called Harris’s involvement a “gamechanger.”
“Too many families don’t know that specialized music education exists for their blind or visually impaired children,” Dr. Black said. “Casey’s platform and lived experience will help us raise critical awareness, break down barriers, and show parents and educators what’s possible when kids get the right support and opportunities.”
How Vision Through Music® Works
Vision Through Music® connects blind and visually impaired children nationwide with qualified music teachers. The program offers:
- Individualized music instruction and mentorship
- Grant funding to help cover the cost of lessons
- A multi-week virtual training course for educators, in partnership with the Academy of Music for the Blind
- Resources for teachers who want to adapt their methods for visually impaired students
The goal is to build confidence, communication skills, and independence through the universal language of music.
Harris is already actively promoting the program, urging both potential students’ families and music educators to get involved.
“If you’re out there and you’re a teacher willing to be flexible and adapt and learn how to work with kids who don’t have vision… please reach out to the Vision Through Music program,” he said. “We really need teachers right now.”
Looking Ahead with X Ambassadors
While championing this cause, Harris and X Ambassadors continue creating music. The band has more than a full album’s worth of new material ready, with releases expected in the coming months and a full album likely before the end of the year. Harris expressed excitement about returning to the road, noting it’s been a couple of months since their last proper tour.
Fans who caught the band at Dallas’s Granada Theater will be happy to hear more live shows are on the horizon.
Get Involved
Harris’s partnership with Vision Through Music® highlights a powerful truth: music transcends barriers and can transform lives, regardless of sight.
To learn more about the Vision Through Music® program, support it, or get involved as a teacher or student, visit: Vision Through Music® – Children’s Eye Foundation
Casey Harris continues to prove that with the right opportunities and passionate teachers, visually impaired children can not only participate in music—they can excel and inspire others, just as he has with X Ambassadors.
