Scot reveals plan for innovative centre after getting honour from Prince Charles
DEAF percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie is planning to open a sound centre.
The Scot, who says she has taught herself to hear using other parts of her body, wants to help people come together and interact through listening and sound.
She revealed her plans yesterday at Buckingham Palace after being made a Companion of Honour by Prince Charles.
The centre will hold some of Evelyn’s 2000 instruments for visitors to use and it will also be a place for learning about communication and listening techniques.
She said: “My real aim is to create a centre that will focus on listening.
“Although I’m a musician, my vision is not for a music centre.
“My vision is to create a space where people can go if they’re interested in instruments, or if they’re interested in certain aspects of listening and want to attend a lecture.
“My doors are open for everyone from tiny infants all the way through to the elderly.
“I want it to be an all-inclusive place, no matter who you are.”
Evelyn, from Aberdeenshire, said the Grenfell Tower fire disaster highlighted how people need to come together and express themselves.
The 51-year-old said: “I want people to discover what glues the world together through listening.
“It is important to listen to one another, especially in the circumstances we have at the moment where some people have just lost their homes.
“How can we learn from everyday circumstances and truly listen when we don’t communicate?”
Former F1 driver Susie Wolff was also at Buckingham Palace to receive her MBE for services to women in sport from the prince.
It’s been a hectic time for the Oban-born motor racing star and TV presenter, who became a mum in April. The 34-yearold was joined by husband Toto, the Mercedes team boss, for the ceremony. A STYLISH city break or a dose of rural bliss? America’s East Coast offers both. The challenge is finding it all in one place.
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