The Essay

A five-part series of essays that explore the dichotomy between being a deaf professional and working with music. Each essayist tells their own story from across the deaf spectrum, including a sign language performer with a passion for musicals, a violinist who switched to classical piano after a cochlear implant, and a flautist who uses visual art to describe music to deaf children. From horn players to punchy performance artists, all of the essayists consider music from a deaf perspective with illuminating results. Professional music sign language performer Paul Whittaker OBE explains how he has carved out a unique space in the classical musical world by being a pioneer in the field of sign language performance. Despite initial scepticism, he pursued a career in music starting with a degree from Oxford, before founding 'Music and the Deaf' to promote musical accessibility. With meticulous preparation and passion, Paul talks us through how he translates complex musical pieces into expressive sign language,