“It all begins with listening. If you listen to your dreams, then let your imagination run wild and believe in yourself, you can achieve anything.”
Evelyn Glennie

Today I am sharing with you a collection of books about listening, not just hearing but really listening.

I am starting with a perfect book match.

The magical middle grade novel Seed and the brilliant and beautiful story of Evelyn Glennie, Listen: How Evelyn Glennie A Deaf Girl Changed Percussion

These two books tell stories of deaf children who listened to their dreams, who loved music, who showed great courage, strength, determination and resilience to overcome every obstacle that stood in their way. Two girls, one fictional, one real, who thought they could not hear, found their own ways to listen.

Gracie is not the main character in Seed and her disability is not the main theme of the story. It is an important part of the book though and her story stole my heart and made me want to be a better person. Gracie cannot hear the music that she loves with her ears but she dreams of being a dancer. Gracie learns to listen with her whole body and the way she dances is like magic. Her friends support her dreams and encourage her to audition for a dance school and because of their love and her strength and determination and the way she hears things in music and the world around her she achieves her dream. Caryl Lewis tells the tale of Gracie so beautifully. The children immediately linked Gracie to Rose Ayling-Ellis dancing on Strictly Come Dancing last year. Two beautiful deaf dancers inspiring the world to stop and think and learn to really listen.

Evelyn Glennie was born in Scotland to a musical family. They loved to make music together.

One day sounds started changing for Evelyn and she discovered that she was losing her hearing. Her dreams of making music seemed to be over but Evelyn and her parents would not give up on her dreams.

Evelyn continued to go to school and to make music. With the help of her loving family and a special teacher Evelyn learned to listen to the world differently. She learned to imagine the sounds of the world around her and recreate them in her music using her whole body. Evelyn became a percussionist. She explored the snare drum, the timpani and the marimba. She listened and she made sounds with her whole being.

Evelyn listened with her eyes and she felt vibrations. To get into the Royal Academy of Music Evelyn had to teach others to listen differently so that they could understand how she made music.

Evelyn earned her place at the academy and made it possible for many others to follow after her. Every music school in Great Britain changed its rules so that no one could be turned away because of a disability.

Evelyn took chances, broke boundaries, smashed obstacles and exceeded all expectations of her. She won a national percussion competition, a Queen’s Commendation and performed the very first solo percussion concerto at the Royal Academy of Music.

Evelyn and Gracie both teach young readers to really listen. They are both brilliant and beautiful role models for young readers and their grown ups.

“Evelyn Glennie became the first full-time solo percussionist in the world.
She owns nearly three thousand instruments, all of which sing in her hands.
Throughout her life, many people told her “No, you can’t.”
But Evelyn always knew she could.
And you can too.
If you only … shhh … listen.”