Blind keyboardist overcomes obstacles, inspires other musicians

AUSTIN, Texas - Devin Gutierrez can’t see the notes, and can’t see the keys, but he’s overcome obstacles and is sharing his musical talent with the world.

"Music to me is everything," Piano-man, singer, and songwriter Devin Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez started playing the keyboard when he was three years old.

"I just heard melodies and liked them and just became attracted to songs and just started playing along to the melodies," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez is blind, has a hearing impairment, and is on the Autism spectrum. Growing up, finding a piano teacher was difficult.

"I guess being a piano teacher and teaching a blind person seems like a pretty daunting task, so they weren't able to find anybody. Then they found one last teacher, her name was Ms. Carson who agreed, at last, after a lot of thought to try to teach me," Gutierrez said.

Since, Gutierrez hasn’t stopped playing.

"I've been in some crazy, situations throughout my life and music has been the one thing that has got me through everything that I have faced up until today," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez’s music is now part of an album with a record label for musicians with disabilities.

"I really didn't think that my demo song, ‘Money’ would be good enough and would fit the standard to be on such an album, but they accepted it with open arms," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said he draws inspiration from Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Donny Hathaway, Billy Joel, and Elton John. And the song came about during a time of struggle.

"You know, it’s hard to get a job when you’re blind," Gutierrez said.

Now, music is his job. This opportunity with Daniel’s Music Foundation and the Just Call Me By My Name label, has allowed Gutierrez to perform at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the original site of Woodstock, in New York.

"Playing at Woodstock, I mean, Jimi Hendrix played there, a whole bunch of crazy good musicians got their start there. To be part of that legacy is just something that's so amazing to me that it's almost not even real," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez is also a vocal coach, or he said, ‘jam instructor.’

"Music isn't for being the spotlight. Music isn't for being famous. It's hard enough to do that as it is, music is for giving back to the world," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said he plans to continue working with his band and solo projects.

"Writing as much music as possible, hoping that I get another chance, another opportunity to maybe perform at Woodstock or some cool place in New York or even here in Austin, some of the local places," Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez’s album is available at Just Call Me By My Name, Vol. 1 (orcd.co)