As an educator, Evelyn is passionate about inspiring young people to discover their potential, develop confidence, and engage creatively with the world around them. Through her work across literature, film, theatre, and educational resources, she creates meaningful learning experiences that encourage curiosity, empathy, resilience, and self-expression.
Whether it’s through the acclaimed illustrated book Listen, the award-winning film Touch the Sound, the stage production Playing from the Heart or the Beehive NCERT Textbook in English for Class 9 education book, these projects have reached audiences around the world.
By sharing real-life experiences and innovative approaches to learning, Evelyn inspires and educates young people globally, empowering them to think differently, embrace diversity, and believe in what is possible.
Young Audiences
TV Programming
Evelyn has been involved in a number of TV shows aimed at pre-school and primary education aged children, including Sesame Street, ZingZillas (episodes Hide and Seek, and Where’s the Bug), The Sound Collector (episode A Cold Winter’s Day) and Yukee (episode Feels Like Thunder). Selected highlights are available below for you to enjoy.
Evelyn on Sesame Street:
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Evelyn and Linda Bove Percussion Duet
(first aired in Episode #3930, repeated in Episode #4106)
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Evelyn plays trashcans with Oscar the Grouch and his band, the Grouchketeers
(first aired in Episode #3943, repeated in Episode #4159)
The Sound Collector
The Sound Collector is a wonderful project from Eagle vs Bat and has won numerous awards for its beautiful approach to animation and sound.
Evelyn connected with Erica and Tom (the Eagle vs Bat team) as they were producing the first series, and was involved in the piece ‘Winter’, as featured in Series 1, Episode 55: A Cold Winter’s Day.
You can view the episode through itvX or online here.
Evelyn’s thoughts:
“The Sound Collector animated children’s TV series completely embodies my fascination with sound…
This brilliant series is testament to how we can learn about the world we live in and our relationship to what is all around us. We learn so much about ourselves and each other. Sound is not a thing or object but an experience. With sound we can be ourselves.”
Plays
Charles Way: Playing from the Heart For ages 6 to 12
Playing from the Heart, written by Charles Way, is a play about Evelyn’s childhood. It is a gritty yet poetic piece which tells how Evelyn became a musician despite becoming profoundly deaf between eight and twelve years old.
The play was first commissioned and produced by Polka Theatre, London (UK) and nominated by the TMA as best children’s play. It has had many productions, notably at the ARC in Dublin, Ireland.
Publications
Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, A Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion written by Shannon Stoker and illustrated by Devon Holzworth
This inspiring picture book for ages 4 to 8, written by Shannon Stocker, tells Evelyn’s true story.
This is a story of music. Of obstacles. Of strength and hard work. Of all you can accomplish when you dream.
As a child, Evelyn Glennie’s ears began to hurt. Voices became distant whispers. Ringing phones sounded like muffled crunches in her ears. But when she was told that she would need to wear hearing aids for the rest of her life, Evelyn was determined that this this would never stop her from playing music. Instead of giving up on her dreams, Evelyn found new ways to listen…
“No. You can’t,” people said. But Evelyn knew she could. She had found her own way to listen.
With stunning illustrations from Devon Holzwarth, and a special note from Evelyn herself, this is the perfect book to inspire children to never give up on their dreams. Listen is vailable from all good book shops, and through Evelyn’s online shop.
Evelyn reading ‘Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, A Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion’ on YouTube
Although we haven’t included them all here, there are several books that Evelyn has contributed to, or which tell her story, aimed at younger audiences or learners, and you can find most of them in our online shop.
Teens
Plays
Teatr Damier: ‘Evelyn. Barefoot’ (Evelyn. Na bosaka) All audiences
‘Evelyn. Barefoot’ is a performance inspired by Evelyn’s life and story.
Written by Sandra Szwarc, directed by Alina Moś, produced and performed by Paulina Zdancewicz-Piotrowska and Teatr Damier, an independant theatre company based in Poland, Evelyn. Barefoot is available online in the original Polish language and Polish Sign Language (PJM), with English subtitles.
“I am hugely moved by the creative vision that gave rise to this project, conceived by the remarkable Teatr Damier. To witness the arc of a life’s philosophy reimagined through the language of theatre is both humbling and deeply meaningful…
…What strikes me most is that this story, though carried by a young girl, speaks just as powerfully to the spirit within us all. It calls to that inner self which must remain steadfast – resilient in the face of uncertainty, uncompromising in its truth, and unwavering in its dreams. The bond we hold with that inner child, so often overlooked, is honoured with tenderness and imagination.”
Publications
Beehive Class 9, Chapter 2 – The Sound of Music: Evelyn Glennie Listens to Sound without Hearing it
Aimed at 13 to 14 year old students in 9th grade (Class 9) in India, the Beehive Textbook in English for Class IX, created for the English language curriculum by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi, India features a dedicated section about Evelyn’s journey, written by Deborah Cowley. The aim of the textbook is to help students read for meaning, think critically, and communicate in English with confidence and accuracy.
The Sound of Music chapter narrates the inspiring stories of Evelyn (in Part 1) and Ustad Bismillah Khan (in Part 2), showing how determination, talent, and love for music help them overcome challenges. It teaches students about perseverance, passion, and cultural pride.
We welcome all Class 9 students to Evelyn’s website. Although Evelyn and her team cannot respond to the numerous comments and messages we receive on social media, we do appreciate the passion and enthusiasm you show for her journey and wish you every success with your studies!
Please note: Evelyn was not directly involved with the creation of the Beehive book chapter, and as such, some of the details it includes are not quite accurate although they are commonly held misconceptions. To clarify:
Evelyn does not speak or read French or Japanese. She did study French to ‘A’ level at school, but didn’t keep up the language after she started studying at the Royal Academy of Music in London. When Evelyn was 21 she travelled to Japan to study Marimaba with Keiko Abe for one month, and she had a Japanese common phrase textbook which helped her whilst she was there, but she hasn’t mastered basic Japanese.
Evelyn currenly owns over 3,800 instruments, and adds more to her collection all of the time. Although she plays many of them, it is not possible for anyone to master a thousand instruments.
Academic Research
The Evelyn Glennie Collection is a unique archive documenting Evelyn’s pioneering career.
It serves as a valuable cultural and educational resource, supporting research, learning, and creative development.
Utilising The Evelyn Glennie Collection for Academic Research: Dr Georgina Hughes
Through regular visits, and close collabration with Collection Volunteers, Dr Georgina Hughes wrote her PhD Thesis, titled ‘Creativity, Collaboration and Diversification: Dame Evelyn Glennie and the Evolution of Solo Percussion Performance’. This subsequently formed the basis for her published book, ‘Evelyn Glennie: Sound Creator‘, a case study of a pioneering musician and an interdisciplinary appraisal of the larger social role of the artist.
Further Academic Works: Percussion Instruments and their history by James Blades, Evelyn Glennie and Neil Percy
James Blades’ famous book has been referred to as the ‘percussionist’s bible’. It is established as the definitive reference work on the subject. The extended edition includes two additional chapters, one of which was written by Evelyn focussing on solo percussion.
Touch the Sound: A Sound Journey with Evelyn Glennie. Based on Evelyn’s remarkable story, this award-winning documentary by Thomas Riedelsheimer explores the connections between perception, time, sound and rhythm.
TED Talk: How to Truly Listen In this soaring demonstration, Evelyn illustrates how listening to music involves much more than simply letting sound waves hit your eardrums.
This section will automatically update with the most recent essays, but if you would like to explore all Evelyn’s news, including occasional guest blogs, and her own thoughts and reflections, please visit the dedicated blog section.
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