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A Deaf Musician

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Lem Usita

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Have you ever heard a deaf musician play music? Have you ever heard of a thing? How can someone that can’t hear with their ears learn how to make beautiful sound? Well, they would tell you that they listen with every part of their being then. Just because they can’t hear doesn’t mean that they can’t hear. I know. It doesn’t even sound like it’s possible does it?

I listened to a talk given by Evelyn Glennie. I got the talk from here. They titled the talk Evelyn Glennie shows how to listen. Her quest is to teach the world how to listen. She listens not with her ears but with every part of her body. Truly, she’s teaching us how to live more fully and to experience more wholly – with every part of our being. It’s quite compelling. She’s an amazing musician.

I’m not sure I’ve ever thought about how I listen. I want to try and listen in more ways that I currently do. Not just with my ears, but with every part of me. I want to experience listening.

3 responses to “A Deaf Musician”

  1. lizzy Avatar
    lizzy

    Great thoughts.
    I majored in interpreting for the deaf in college and worked with the deaf (still do some) before going into youth ministry…
    working with deaf ppl and esp deaf teens and attending socials with them and watching them experience the music and all that was around them allowed me to see that I missed so much out of life. I had the opportunity to attend a “silent” weekend with some of my students once, (silent meaning those of us with the ability to hear were not allowed to use our voices- we were to join their ‘world’ to the best of our ability, and the children who could voice— were encouraged to just be them… and not be forced to live in the ‘hearing world’ for a weekend) it was far from quiet or silent… in fact it was the loudest but sweetest weekend I have had. I heard things I never heard before…. did you know snowflakes make a sound when they hit frozen ground? and a speaker turn down on a hardwood floor with the bass turned up all the way feels like laughter in the depths of your soul…
    experiencing life in “silence” is golden!

    Reply
    1. Lem Usita Avatar
      Lem Usita

      Lizzy – such fascinating ideas to me. It’s a whole new world that I had never “heard” or heard about. You are so right. So much is missed when you don’t really truly listen. I’d love to experience the loudest but sweetest weekend. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  2. Lem Usita Avatar
    Lem Usita

    Did you watch the video?

    Reply

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