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How Do We Listen When We're Unable to Hear?

Part 3 of the TED Radio Hour episode The Act Of Listening

About Evelyn Glennie's TED Talk

Percussionist and recording artist Evelyn Glennie is almost completely deaf, which means she listens to music with her body, not her ears.

About Evelyn Glennie

Percussionist and composer Dame Evelyn Glennie lost nearly all of her hearing by age 12. Rather than isolating her, it has given her a unique sensitivity and connection to her music. She's the subject of the documentary Touch the Sound, which explores her unconventional approach to percussion.

In addition to her solo career, Glennie has collaborated with musicians ranging from classical orchestras to Björk. She's performed in concert halls around the world, and she's recorded a dozen albums, winning a Grammy for her recording of Bartók's "Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion," and another for her 2002 collaboration with Bela Fleck. This year along with Emmylou Harris, she was the recipient of the prestigious Polar Music Prize.

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NPR/TED Staff