Quotes by Evelyn Glennie

About Evelyn Glennie:

Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie is a Scottish virtuoso percussionist. She is announced as one of the two laureates for the Polar Music Prize of 2015.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

I didn't decide to become a musician until the age of 15, which is quite late.

Evelyn Glennie

I walk into a kids' store, and it's amazing, the types of instruments - little squeaky things, rattling things, spinning tops.

Evelyn Glennie

The human body and mind are tremendous forces that are continually amazing scientists and society. Therefore, we have no choice but to keep an open mind as to what the human being can achieve.

Evelyn Glennie

My role on the planet is to bring the power of sound.

Evelyn Glennie

Once you're in a particular country, and you're surrounded by musicians who are so adept at traditional music, you suddenly realize how much there is to explore and digest and learn and experience.

Evelyn Glennie

Marimba is much more of a wood-type experience and there is no real possibility of getting a dry sound, and getting that contrast in the same way that you can in a vibraphone.

Evelyn Glennie

Percussion is the most adaptable family of instruments. The biggest challenge is to project percussion in a lyrical way.

Evelyn Glennie

Music is about communication... it isn't just something that maybe physically sounds good or orally sounds interesting; it's something far, far deeper than that.

Evelyn Glennie

I associate going to an airport with work because I travel so much with my job. So when I have a few days free from work, I tend to stay at home.

Evelyn Glennie

I hope the seeds I have sown will be taken up by those who will follow me because the journey I have begun cannot be undertaken in isolation.

Evelyn Glennie

And as I grew older, I then auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music in London, and they said, well, no, we won't accept you, because we haven't a clue - you know - of the future of a so-called 'deaf' musician. And I just couldn't quite accept that.

Evelyn Glennie

I love out-of-the-way, rugged places. For me, holidays are about the experiences, and the people, and the memories, rather than sitting on a nice beach getting tanned. I try to plant myself where I am and embrace what is there in front of me.

Evelyn Glennie

Hearing is a form of touch. You feel it through your body, and sometimes it almost hits your face.

Evelyn Glennie

The thing about playing percussion is that you can create all these emotions that can be sometimes beautiful, sometimes really ugly, or sometimes sweet, sometimes as big as King Kong and so on. And so there can be a real riot out there, or it can be ...

Evelyn Glennie

Anything you strike, anything you shake or rattle, or just anything that can be picked up, and you can create a sound.

Evelyn Glennie

I suppose I don't hear things, but I listen, if you know what I mean. And there is a big difference between hearing and listening. So it's like a conversation, you know. When you speak to someone, it's one on one, and that's exactly how I play.

Evelyn Glennie

Percussion is physical, as most instruments are. The body must function well in order to play the instruments well. Last year I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

Evelyn Glennie

There are many collaborations I'd like to explore. One is to co-write a rap concerto with Eminem.

Evelyn Glennie

My favorite instrument is the snare drum. In Scotland, the snare drum is very prominent in Highland bands. The Scottish style of playing is in my blood. It's a very powerful instrument, but it can also be soothing, like velvet. It's a real challenge ...

Evelyn Glennie

I'm not a deaf musician. I'm a musician who happens to be deaf.

Evelyn Glennie

Author Bio

  • NameEvelyn Glennie
  • DescriptionScottish percussionist
  • AliasesDame Evelyn Glennie
  • BornJuly 19, 1965
  • CountryUnited Kingdom
  • ProfessionComposer; Percussionist
  • AwardsDame Commander Of The Order Of The British Empire