68 Quotes by Evelyn Glennie

Hearing is a form of touch. I hear it through the body, by opening myself up. Sometimes it almost hits you in the face.

I’m not a deaf musician. I’m a musician who happens to be deaf.

Society cannot continue to disable themselves through their need to categorize people or make assumptions as to another individual’s abilities.

I suppose I don’t hear things, but I listen, if you know what I mean. And there is a big difference between hearing and listening. So it’s like a conversation, you know. When you speak to someone, it’s one on one, and that’s exactly how I play.

And as I grew older, I then auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music in London, and they said, well, no, we won’t accept you, because we haven’t a clue – you know – of the future of a so-called ‘deaf’ musician. And I just couldn’t quite accept that.

Apart from Scottish traditional music, I wasn’t really influenced by any kind of music. I just basically followed my own instincts.

I didn’t decide to become a musician until the age of 15, which is quite late.

Once you’re in a particular country, and you’re surrounded by musicians who are so adept at traditional music, you suddenly realize how much there is to explore and digest and learn and experience.

My favorite instrument is the snare drum. In Scotland, the snare drum is very prominent in Highland bands. The Scottish style of playing is in my blood. It’s a very powerful instrument, but it can also be soothing, like velvet. It’s a real challenge for composers.