Evelyn Glennie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Evelyn Glennie
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Evelyn Glennie at the 2004 Moers Festival
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie |
| Born | 19 July 1965 Methlick, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Percussion |
| Awards |
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Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie is a world-famous Scottish percussionist, born on 19 July 1965. She is known for her incredible musical talent and for performing while being profoundly deaf. Evelyn Glennie has received many honors, including the Polar Music Prize in 2015, one of the highest awards in music. She shows everyone that experiencing music with your body can be just as powerful as hearing with your ears.
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Early Life: A Musician's Beginning
Evelyn Glennie grew up in Methlick, a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The traditional music of Scotland played a big part in her early musical journey. She first learned to play the piano and the clarinet.
Evelyn started losing her hearing when she was 8 years old. By the age of 12, she was profoundly deaf. Despite this, her passion for music grew stronger. Her teacher, Ron Forbes, helped her discover a new way to experience sound. He taught her to feel music through vibrations in different parts of her body.
A Unique Way to Experience Music
Evelyn Glennie has shown the world that deafness does not stop her from being an amazing musician. She often performs barefoot. This allows her to feel the music's vibrations through the floor. She feels the higher sounds in the upper part of her body and lower sounds in her legs and feet.
Evelyn believes that many people misunderstand deafness. She has shared her unique way of "hearing" in her "Hearing Essay" and in a popular TED Talk called "How To Truly Listen." She also wrote a book, Listen World!, which shares her thoughts and experiences. In 2022, she launched her own podcast, inviting guests to discuss their ideas about listening and sound.
An Amazing Career: Performing Around the World
Evelyn Glennie travels all over the globe, performing as a solo artist with many different orchestras. She also works with electric musicians. She is famous for asking composers to write new music especially for solo percussion.
Evelyn is also skilled at playing the Great Highland Bagpipes. She even has her own special tartan design, called "The Rhythms of Evelyn Glennie."
A memorable moment in her career was performing at the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. She led a thousand drummers in the first piece of music. She also played a special instrument called the Glennie Concert Aluphone during the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
In 2021, Evelyn Glennie became the Chancellor of Robert Gordon University. This is an important leadership role at a university. She also supports music education and charities like Sound World and Help Musicians.
Working with Other Artists
Evelyn Glennie has collaborated with many famous musicians. She worked with Icelandic singer Björk on her album Telegram. She also teamed up with former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett and other artists like Bela Fleck and Mark Knopfler.
In 2012, she worked with the band Underworld and director Danny Boyle on the music for the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. More recently, in 2020, she composed music for the film Sound of Metal. She also creates music for a company called Audio Network.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Evelyn Glennie has received many awards for her incredible contributions to music. Some of her most important honors include:
- The Polar Music Prize in 2015, often called the "Nobel Prize of Music."
- Two Grammy Awards for her musical performances.
- The Léonie Sonning Music Prize in 2023.
- She was made a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2007. This is a very high honor from the British Queen.
- She was also appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in 2017, another special recognition.
Evelyn Glennie owns a huge collection of over 3500 percussion instruments from all around the world. She is always adding new instruments to her collection.
Films and TV Appearances
Evelyn Glennie was the subject of a film called Touch the Sound (2004). This movie explored her unique way of experiencing music and sound.
She has also appeared on children's television shows. She played tubular bells and the waterphone on ZingZillas in 2010. In 2001, she appeared on Sesame Street, playing percussion with Oscar the Grouch's band.
See also
In Spanish: Evelyn Glennie para niños
