An Affinity for Music

Williams Syndrome carries with it a love and drive for music, which is remarkably evident in members of the Williams population. From an early age, they have a knack for spreading musical joy throughout their surrounding communities.

Members of the Williams Syndrome population almost always exhibit exceptional musical capabilities, including perfect pitch, self-taught instrument skills, and a keen sense of stagemanship.  In our instructive interview with Garrison Hagler, a local high school student with Williams, all these characteristics were clearly represented.  

His dad, Mike Hagler, spoke of Garrison's early interest in the pitches of domestic appliances, including vacuums, lawn mowers, hedge-trimmers, and kitchen devices.  At a young age, Garrison would match these devices' pitches on a keyboard.  Garrison would anticipate the coming of spring, looking forward to the whirr of motors from trimmers.  In fact, we're told he recently received a trimmer as a Christmas present.  

Another Christmas, Mrs. Hagler bought a harmonica for her husband Mike; needless to say, Mike was speechless when one afternoon he returned home to his toddler, who had miraculously learned to play the harmonica with exceptional ease.  Since that time, the Hagler parents have devotedly endeavored to quench Garrison's unique thirst for musical variety.

And people with Williams tend to be omnivorous in their musical tastes, listening to anything from Gregorian Chants to Free Jazz.  Garrison is no exception; we're told that his bedroom overflows with over 200 CDs from a vast selection of genres, including Barber Shop, Bagpipe, Jazz, and Bluegrass. 

In discussing Garrison's rich tastes, Mr. Hagler remarked, "that's been one of the fun things about having a kid like Garrison...his tastes are so eclectic.  I would never have thought in a million years I would have been a Bluegrass fan."  He turns to his son: "that's been one of your effects on me."

Sometimes, the musical thirst possessed by a person with Williams results in them acquiring a wide array of performance experiences.  This is precisely the case with Garrison, who, through his involvement in the local Buckeye State Harmonica Club, has formed a circle of relationships with very accomplished and, in most cases, older musicians.  Garrison can be seen in a picture near the bottom of their webpage.  

"The group plays about once a month," said Mr. Hagler,  "and they primarily play senior citizens communities, retirement homes, things like that."  

However, Mr. Hagler explains that Garrison's experiences go beyond his involvement in the club: "he has played with some very famous harmonica players in the harmonica community: Sgro Brothers, Bud Boblink, Charlie McCoy...we've gone to festivals and conventions and he has played solo.  He played at the national convention in Saint Louis last year in front of 1,500 people."

Garrison's musical abilities have clearly touched the people around him.  Watch the video below to hear more stories about Garrison's musical life directly from his dad and him: