Short Biography of Evelyn Glennie | Biography Evelyn Glennie | Inspirational Story

 Evelyn Glennie - Inspirational Story

Short Biography of Evelyn Glennie | Biography Evelyn Glennie | Inspirational Story

Evelyn Glennie, is a world renowned percussionist. She is Scottish and hearing impaired. She fought against her physical disability and wrote her own success story. She proved to the world that nothing is impossible. Determination and hard work can make the impossible thing possible. There is always a way out, you only need to discover it. Sky is the limit for those who are willing to walk the extra mile. She has become an inspiration for all, especially for the deat Evelyn Glennie's loss of hearing had been gradual. Her mother noticed it when the eight- year old Evelyn was waiting to play the piano and did not move when her name was called out. Evelyn managed to conceal her growing deafness from teachers and friends for quite a while. By the time she was eleven her marks had deteriorated. Her headmistress urged her parents to take her to a specialist. 

Short Biography of Evelyn Glennie | Biography Evelyn Glennie | Inspirational Story

It was discovered that her hearing was severely impaired due to gradual nerve damage. Her parents were advised to have her fitted with hearing aids and sent to a school for the deaf. Everything looked black but Evelyn did not give up. The percussionist, Ron Forbes noticed her potential and trained her to feel the notes of drums. He asked her not to listen through her ears but to sense the vibrations some other way. Evelyn could feel the higher drum from the waist up and the lower one from waist down. Soon with practice, she could sense certain notes in different parts of her body. She had learnt to open her mind and body to sounds and vibrations.

Short Biography of Evelyn Glennie | Biography Evelyn Glennie | Inspirational Story

She auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music and scored one of the highest marks in the history of the academy. At the end of the three year course, she had won most of the top awards. She got right to the top, the world's most sought after percussionist with a mastery of some thousand instruments, and hectic international schedule. Evelyn's achievements are indeed heroic, but her words, "If you work hard and know where you are going, you will get there" reflect remarkable humility. She effortlessly gives interviews by watching not just the lips but the whole face, especially the eyes of the speaker. She can speak flawlessly because she could hear till the age of eleven. Music, according to her pours in through every part of her body, it tingles in the skin, her cheekbones and even in her hair. 

Short Biography of Evelyn Glennie | Biography Evelyn Glennie | Inspirational Story

When she plays the xylophone she can sense the sound passing through her fingertips. By leaning against the drums, she could feel the resonances flowing into her body. On a wooden platform she removes her shoes so that the vibrations pass through her bare feet and up her legs. In 1994, she was presented with the Royal Philharmonie Society's prestigious Soloist of the Year award. Apart from regular concerts, she gives free concerts in prisons and hospitals and gives high priority to classes for young musicians. Evelyn has demonstrated that percussion can be very moving. She is a shining inspiration for those who are handicapped because it makes them feel "If she can do it. We can."