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Junior advisory board

Daniel Gillen

Daniel joined JAB in 2025, adding to a lifelong involvement with FMDG. He began studying at the Music School at age six with lessons in piano and braille music. He graduated from the founding class of CMPYP students in 2012. After receiving his BA and BS from Haverford College in Music and Physics, he continued to devote much time to music and the arts, becoming an integral part of FMDG’s braille music transcription department. There he produces braille scores for in-house students as well as K-12, higher-ed, and professionals. Other life interests include accessibility in the STEM fields, flamenco dance, geography, linguistics, trivia, and chess.
A man wearing a white t-shirt with braille embossed below the neckline sits on a park bench and smiles while holding a white and red cane.
A young woman with dark cropped curly hair, round glasses, and a black sequin dress smiles and prepares to sing into a microphone. Behind her is a grand piano and a sign saying "54 Below."

Maya Graves

Maya Graves, who has been an FMDG student since 2013, is an alto in the Adult Chorus, member of the Guitar Ensemble, and flutist in the Latin Ensemble. In addition, she also studies voice with Michelle Trovato and piano with Jennifer Apsel. Outside of the school, she sings for the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church Inspirational Ensemble, has recorded two professional audiobooks, and is currently a piano tuner in training.

Simon Isakov

Simon Isakov joined FMDG Music School in 2012. He started out with the Comprehensive Music Program for Young People (CMPYP) before joining the Adult program in 2015 and has been a member of the Junior Advisory Board since its inception in 2022. “It’s been really great singing with the adult chorus for many years, playing with various ensembles and seeing what the school has grown into.” Simon now works at the Andrew Heiskell Library for Braille and Talking Books branch of New York Public Library (NYPL).

Francesco Magisano

Francesco Magisano is a blind endurance athlete and disability advocate who has dedicated his life to redefining the limits of possibility. After losing his vision at the age of 15, Francesco joined the FMDG music school through the CMPYP Saturday program. He’s taken part in many ensembles and performances, and is currently a tenor in the adult vocal ensemble. Francesco has run almost two dozen marathons and become the first blind athlete to
complete an Ultraman (an ultra distance triathlon), among myriad other athletic
accomplishments.

He is now the NYC Metro Region director for Achilles International, empowering thousands of athletes with disabilities to train, race, and thrive. As a speaker, Francesco uses his own unique blend of candor, humor, and storytelling to inspire others to think differently about access, resilience, and human potential.

Milica Milic

Milica has been with the music school since 2010, where she’s dabbled in various instruments including flute, piano, bass guitar, as well as studied singing and music technology. Milica currently participates in the adult vocal ensemble and loves to explore new short-term class offerings after her daytime teaching job. In her free time, Milica enjoys exploring New York’s food scene, exploring various types of art making and crafting mediums, and cozying up to her cats on a relaxing Friday evening.

A woman with strawberry blonde hair smiles. She is wear a green blouse with black polka dots.
A close up of Jillian Raquet on stage. Jillian is dressed in a gold colored gown. Jillian has long blond hair with a slight curl.

Jillian Raquet

Founder

Jillian Raquet first became a student at FMDG Music School in 2012 during her freshman year at Marymount Manhattan College. Being part of the FMDG community helped Jillian grow in confidence, both as a performer and as an individual with vision loss. Passionate about helping other members of the blind and visually impaired community discover the same life-changing opportunities she found at FMDG, Jillian founded the Junior Advisory Board (JAB) in 2023 to encourage greater student involvement in supporting the school’s mission. In addition to serving on JAB, Jillian is involved in many areas of the FMDG community, including singing in the chorus, taking voice lessons, assisting with CMPYP, and lending a hand wherever she can.

Andrew Zhang

Andrew Zhang has been part of the FMDG Music School community since 2003. As a student in CMPYP (the Comprehensive Music Program for Young People), he studied piano and electric bass guitar while also exploring music technology, Braille music, percussion ensemble, dance, chorus, and just about anything else he could sign up for. He was also a longtime member of the Youth Rock Ensemble, where he primarily played bass guitar. After aging out of CMPYP, Andrew continued his involvement with FMDG as an adult by joining the adult chorus and taking private voice lessons. More than twenty years later, Andrew still considers FMDG an important part of his life and continues taking voice lessons whenever his schedule allows.

Outside of music, Andrew originally earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting before deciding on a career change into rehabilitation counseling. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree at Hunter College and hopes to use both his education and lived experience as a blind person to advocate for accessibility and disability rights. When he is not studying, running with Achilles International, training for marathons and triathlons, playing Dungeons & Dragons, reading, or traveling to visit blind friends around the country and abroad, Andrew enjoys connecting with people and answering questions about blindness, accessibility, and life in general. Andrew can be reached at andrewczhang96@gmail.com.

A man with dark parted hair and black polo shirt smiles.