Sean Chandler: Delivering music workshops to deaf children across the country and inspiring success

Hi everyone, I’m Sean. I have severe hearing loss as a result of contracting meningitis when I was just 3 months old. I am bilingual (BSL and English) and I have worked as a Teacher of the Deaf for several years. I recently left this position to begin work as a freelance music workshop leader and facilitator, as well as offering consultancy and subtitle/translation work.

I recently made the decision to go freelance due to my desire to teach music to deaf children and young people, and also to be a positive role model for them to help raise aspirations. I was frustrated that I wasn’t reaching more deaf children and young people with the skills that I have, as I was always stuck in one place!

Looking back on what inspired me musically growing up, I remember how my Dad always had music playing at home. As well as this, one day when I was in school, I could hear the trumpet lessons taking place from the opposite classroom where I was based, and that sparked my interest in playing the trumpet when I was just 7 years old; I am a lot older now!

I was so lucky to have an outstanding teacher of brass in secondary school – Bob Dean. He was hearing but really went to great lengths to make sure I had access to music-making. He died a while ago and I miss him dearly.

I try to teach the deaf children in the same way he taught me – with patience, clear goals, striving for perfection, and respect everyone in the school environment all the way from the receptionist to teachers to cleaning staff, he inspired me to be a good person.

From a performance standpoint, it is hard for me to play in tune with other hearing musicians. I always tell people in any ensemble I play in that I am deaf, and ask that they tell me when I am playing in tune or too loud/quiet. This helps me to adjust my playing accordingly. This only comes about by building trusting relationships with the hearing musicians in my ensemble.

Luckily, I rarely encounter bad attitudes from hearing musicians about my deafness; they are always super supportive and we have a good laugh when we’re playing together. When I notice a negative comment/gesture about my deafness, I don’t say anything, but let my playing do the talking. I am a lead trumpet player. When I start playing, I notice some people very quickly look at each other and shut up. I love those moments!

I am aware that when I lead music workshops, I am role-modelling not only musicianship to deaf children and young people, but also other aspects of being deaf. These include being proud to be deaf, having a successful career, engaging with other deaf and hearing people positively and having high expectations about what deaf people can do.

Deaf children in my workshops instantly engage with me because I am deaf myself, and I can sign to them. I love seeing their facial expressions when I play tunes that they recognise – Let It Go, Happy Birthday, We Don’t Talk About Bruno, to name but a few.

I feel right at home when I am working with deaf children and young people, and I always strive to make sure that they feel comfortable and feel empowered by the time I leave. Often, children will start brass lessons in their own setting when I have delivered inspiration workshops, which is just brilliant.

I did not have any other deaf role models when I was growing up. I first met Paul Whittaker, Danny Lane and Ruth Montgomery later on, in my mid-twenties. I met Eloise Garland a bit later on. This group of unbelievably formidable deaf musicians are hugely talented and incredibly hard working.

I am proud to say I have worked with each of them on separate projects. They really are leading the way for deaf children and young people to take up music and enjoy it for future generations.

With hearing assisted technology, most deaf people can access some sounds. Brass instruments are brilliant with tactile vibrational qualities of their playing, but this is not the only thing that makes music accessible. Improvements in technology – free apps and subtitled songs on iTunes etc make for a very much accessible way for deaf people to get involved in music making.

I would say music teachers need to be patient and learn as much as they can about BSL, deaf culture and the ways that deaf children learn – they are not hearing children with broken ears!

One of my most memorable performances was at Buckingham Palace with the BBC with Prince Harry and Goldie in attendance. I held a top E for what seemed like 4 years! I remember feeling faint as soon as I hit it, but I realised I was probably never going to perform at the Palace again, so I persevered and luckily I held out!

I’ve also performed at Westminster Abbey up in the organ balcony for the Royal College of Midwifery anniversary celebrations. I’ve been fortunate to play at many venues as a musician – Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Maida Vale recording studios, Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, Royal Academy and College of Music in London, King’s Place, Sage Gateshead, Snape Maltings,…the list goes on!

Because of that, my bucket list is pretty full. I won the conducting prize at University and want to teach deaf children who have BSL as their first language how to conduct, then get them in front of a brass band/orchestra and have them conduct a piece. Conductors use gesture, body language and facial expression to get across to the musicians what they demand from the music. Deaf children who are BSL users have that already in them!

I also want to perform a trumpet concerto with an orchestra. This has never happened for me. I have played many solos with a brass band (Zelda, Concert Etude, Virtuosity, The Nightingale) and with a Jazz big band (Gonna Fly Now, Maynard Ferguson, Glenn Miller solos) but never a full concerto with an orchestra. I love the Haydn Trumpet Concerto and would jump at the chance to perform this.

I would also love to conduct a professional orchestra. I’d probably choose Nimrod, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and William Tell Overture.

I would like to say to parents of deaf children – Your child is musical, we just need to find the right instrument and setting for them. When a flower doesn’t grow well, we don’t look at the flower. We look at the soil, water, sunlight etc. It’s the same with providing the right conditions for a deaf child to learn music – Communication needs awareness, patience, structured goals and targets, performance opportunity and high expectations.

To any deaf children or young people reading this – you are powerful and you can do this. You’ve found a way to get through so much in your life already, and exploring music will be so good for you. I am a completely different person thanks to music, and I love it. This deaf guy can do it and he is nowhere near as cool as you. Go for it – you’ve got this!

Sean Chandler is on social media at @thingwoidaraes