Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion (独奏打击乐) in Scotland. In an interview, she recalled how she became a percussion soloist in spite of her disability.
"Early on I decided not to allow the 1 of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began 2 piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my 3. Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the 4 and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never 5 me.
"My 6 was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I 7 to "hear" music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can 8 the pitch of a note (音调高低) by the vibrations (振动) I feel through my body and through my imagination. My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every 9 that I have.
"I was 10 to be assessed (评价) as a percussion soloist, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in London. No other deaf student had 11 this before and some teachers were against my admission. Based on my performance, I was 12 admitted and went on to graduate with the academy's highest honors."
"After that, I established myself as the first full-time solo percussionist. I wrote and arranged a lot of musical compositions since 13 had been written specially for solo percussionists."
"I have been a soloist for over ten years. 14 the doctor thought I was totally deaf, it didn't mean that my passion couldn't be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be 15 by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart. They will lead you to the place you want to go."
