Over 150 attend Dame Evelyn percussion masterclass

More than 150 staff and students from The University of Manchester attended a very special music event on 14 October proving that percussion is for everyone.

Celebrating 100 years of Deaf Education, Dame Evelyn Glennie, the pre-eminent solo percussionist, led five percussion students from the Music Department in a two-hour masterclass hosted by the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures in association with the Audiology Department.

The performances ranged from solo tambourine, to 5-octave marimba, to a large drum kit set-up with electronic sounds, and even a student’s own new composition.

Dame Evelyn has been profoundly deaf since the age of 12 and developed a holistic way of listening to and making music, going beyond the printed score to engage more directly with people and the spaces they occupy when listening to music.

“Evelyn brought out extra nuance and colour throughout the class, which was attended by over 150 people from the university community,” said Dr Kevin Malone, Reader in Composition.