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Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion
Last updated Friday, March 13, 2026
Author: Shannon Stocker
Illustrator: Devon Holzwarth
Date of Publication: 2022
ISBN: 0593109694
Grade Level: 2nd (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Mar. 2026
Synopsis:
"No. You can't," people said.
But Evelyn knew she could. She had found her own way to listen.
From the moment Evelyn Glennie heard her first note, music held her heart. She played the piano by ear at age eight, and the clarinet by age ten. But soon, the nerves in her ears began to deteriorate, and Evelyn was told that, as a deaf girl, she could never be a musician. What sounds Evelyn couldn't hear with her ears, though, she could feel resonate through her body as if she, herself, were a drum. And the music she created was extraordinary. Evelyn Glennie had learned how to listen in a new way. And soon, the world was listening too.
| Note to readers: |
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This is an inspirational true story about Evelyn Glennie. A promising young musician, she became "profoundly deaf" when she was 12. She learned how to "listen" to music and rhythm with her other senses, and excelled as a percussion artist. She has won several Grammys, many music awards, and was awarded an Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth in 1993.
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You can watch a 11-minute video of Evelyn Glennie reading this book https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNVMZLx-jX8
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| Discussion topics for before reading: |
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Can you listen without being able to hear? (e.g., sign language, lip reading, written messages, messages "tapped" using Morse code…)
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Why does Evelyn Glennie, who is deaf, take off her shoes when she plays the drums? (She can feel the drum vibrations on the floor beneath her feet, also with her hands on the wall or on the drum)
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What are some ways to play music from a sheet of notes? (simply play the written notes. interpret the music by playing louder/softer, faster/slower; and/or express emotion through voice or movement…)
Vocabulary:
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obstacles: things that get in your way when you are trying to do something
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accomplish: finish something that was important for you to do, despite the obstacles
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degenerating: going from bad to worse to worst
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percussion: instruments that are played by hitting them with your hand, or by using sticks or pedals (e.g., drums, cymbals)resonate: vibrate along with something else that is vibrating (or feel emotion, or a connection with another)
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audiologist: ear doctor
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| Discussion topics for during/after reading: |
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How would you feel / what would you do if you were told that you could no longer do something that you love to do?
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How did Mr Forbes teach Evelyn new ways to "hear" music? (put her hands on walls to feel the vibrations that music caused, "play" with her drums to see how many different ways she could find to make them work).
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Share some new ways can you listen to someone (e.g., watching their expressions to understand their feelings).
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What did Evelyn mean when she said "Losing my hearing made me a better listener?"
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| Special activities: |
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Watch a 3 1/2 minute Sesame Street episode where Evelyn Glennie plays percussion as a member of Oscar's "Grouchkateer Band." Talk about it afterward. "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVw5KawqUIg
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Play "Charades" to explore communicating without words. A kid is give a piece of paper with a word on it. They must silently act out the word so that other children can guess what it is. Some words that could be used: Ouch! Pogo Stick. Drummer. Skier.
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*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions.
You can use them, but you don't have to use them.
You can expand upon them, or add your own twist.
Remember, though, that the focus of your time should
not be on the development and execution of a craft;
the focus should be on the read-aloud and the
enjoyment of the book!
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