Eleven people who are hard of hearing will prepare their music concert in Thessaloniki on June 20–21.
Some people ask, “How will they do this?”They will do this by conveying rhythm through their bodies — a different way of "hearing rhythm."
"Rhythm, Our Common Language" is the title of the original concert at the Conservatory, based on an effort that began in December 2024 and will continue through June 2025. The project is funded by the Recovery Fund.
Conservatory Director Georgios-Ioulios Papadopoulos said the new performance "will particularly benefit people with hearing loss, who until now have had no substantial access to music and similar cultural activities."
The young musicians were trained in percussion by the prominent professor of percussion at the Conservatory, Alexandros Ioannou, and Conservatory graduate and music teacher Marianna Erkekoglou, with the assistance of sign language interpreter Konstantina Papageorgiou.
Students with hearing loss are trained to perceive rhythm through the vibrations produced by instruments such as drums and cymbals, as well as through visual stimuli (e.g., watching the professor’s hands as he plays the instruments).
"I had no problem because the students were deaf — it was the same as having beginner students. The only difficulty was that we had little time for them to learn to play relatively well and perform this concert," Ioannou said. He is also the one who arranged the musical pieces to be performed, which include both classical and rock music.
The most challenging part, he noted, was coordinating the group with the Conservatory’s Youth Orchestra.
Several associations for people with hearing impairments contributed to the project.
The performance will take place at Aristotle University. Attendance is free to the public, but attendees must have obtained a free ticket in advance. The concerts will be held on both nights at 9 p.m.