Special Musicians
I received an email a few days ago from the Music of Life foundation. Music of Life is a non-profit making organisation which provides wonderful performance and training opportunities for musicians with physical disabilities or Special Educational Needs and enjoys the support of people like Evelyn Glennie.
I have taken on pupils with ‘Special Needs’ (Can’t say I like the term particularly!) throughout my teaching career and they have been without doubt amongst my most rewarding students, challenging me to be more imaginative in my teaching. One of my most memorable students was an ex-naval commander who was blind and aged 73 at the the time he started his lessons. John continued playing his cello until shorthly before his death, 8 years later. His wife told me that learning the cello had given him a new lease of life and had enriched his last years. That’s what teaching is about for me – enriching lives and that is reward enough.
Have a look at Music for Life’s website – mofl.co.uk