Kids love percussion instruments and the various sounds they make. But there is a difference between noise and music. Players must make the right sounds at the right time to play music. In truth, becoming a percussionist requires a great deal of skill and practice. For years, it was believed that one more thing was vital – a good sense of hearing. Dame Evelyn Glennie, though, has proven that isn’t always true.

  Evelyn Glennie was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1965. She had a happy childhood, growing up toiling on a farm with her parents and two brothers. From an early age, Glennie learned to work hard and love music, just as her parents did.

 At age 8, Glennie began taking piano lessons, and she also began losing her hearing. By the time she turned 12, she was totally deaf. That same year, she joined her school orchestra. As soon as Glennie saw the instruments in the percussion section, she knew that was where she belonged. She began to study timpani and learned to sense percussion vibrations.