Led by deaf British pianist Danny Lane, the workshops introduce deaf students to the instruments of the orchestra.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra have successfully delivered a new outreach project to offer deaf high school students the opportunity to play music with its members and acclaimed deaf pianist Danny Lane. 30 students from the Victorian College for the Deaf (VCD) attended the special workshop, which was held on Saturday.

Collaborating with Lane, who is also the artistic director of the charity Music and the Deaf, and the MSO, Melbourne-based music educator Karen Kyriakou devised the education workshop for students at the Victorian College for the Deaf to allow them the same musical learning opportunities and experiences of non-deaf students. Kyriokou was inspired to develop the ground-breaking project in Australia after travelling to the UK on a Churchill Scholarship in 2013 to complete her studies in musical education of deaf children. During the workshop, students were initially asked to attend a MSO rehearsal at Hamer Hall. After the rehearsal, MSO members introduced students to select instruments, demonstrating the mechanics of music through the vibrations of the playing.

Danny Lane and MSO Horn player Rosie Savage with VCD students

Lane said the workshop also concentrated on introducing deaf children to other instruments besides the percussion family, as many deaf students feel intimidated by other instrumental groups. One of the world’s most revered and accomplished percussionists, Dame Evelyn Glennie, is profoundly deaf, and has been a great musical role model for many young deaf musicians, but Lane hopes that through the MSO workshops, deaf students can discover other musical disciplines. “Some [children] wanted to play the piccolo and some wanted to play the guitar or the trumpet,” he said. “However, the most important thing is that they get to choose.” Yvonne, a VCD student who appreciates all kinds of music stands as a fine testament to Lane’s discovery. Apart from her experience with drums and other percussion, Yvonne has also played the flute. “Deafness is a very isolating experience. Music changes that. It’s an amazing tool that brings the community together,” said Lane.

Fascinated by music since a young age, Danny Lane was encouraged by his parents and teachers to persevere in his piano studies in spite of his hearing disabilities. In addition to showing deaf students that a range of instruments are accessible, Lane also believes music can be a vital form of therapy. Mental illness, such as depression and anxiety, are a common issue among the deaf community and these could be tackled through playing music as “emotional outlets”. For Danny Lane himself, piano playing helped him alleviate his stress and combat his fears. “It’s a therapeutic experience for me. People who can hear music often feel the pleasure of music stems from listening to it,” he said. “For me, it’s more than that; it’s about the experience of working with a group, interacting, sharing creative achievement and feeling a sense of achievement when you’re performing on stage.” The success of this pilot year will hopefully lead to more workshops for deaf students in coming years, an MSO spokesperson said.