Against all odds

Introducing my son John Amadeus, who was born on May 1st 2012.

Orla O Sullivan is the world's first and most accomplished Deaf and visually impaired pianist, and teacher. She uses music as a way of overcoming her profound deafness and visual impairment. Qualified teacher since 1991, she teaches music in a unique and successful way, as to which her many pupils can attest.

“Through my music I have found a freedom.. the freedom to express myself, to entertain, to achieve, and not let disability limit my enjoyment and celebration of life”

But her greatest joy comes from performing in front of a live audience. This is where she can feel and share the music of the great composers. Composers like Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, and Beethoven, to name a few. She also plays music from the most popular film scores and musicals.

You can view some of her performances through her website at: www.orlaosullivan.ie. For bookings she can be contacted at her website or by (text only) at 087 915 94 94, or Tel: (Dan) 087 620 74 60, and Email: boosullivan@eircom.net. Her CD ‘Sound Senses’ can be purchased through her website, or from, Cork School Of Music, Pro Musica, Cork City Library, and the Cork Deaf Association.

Thoughts on communication through music after a recent performance:

Thank you for coming.. And thank you for listening.. What you just heard was Consolation by Franz Liszt, who wrote this timeless masterpiece nearly two hundred years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N70kXajzjcc&feature=related

When this was written there were no sound recordings, no CDs, no websites, and no hearing aids.
I know you applauded, because I could just about see your hands move.. and yes I did hear it too.. Faintly..
You see I wear powerful hearing aids.. If I did not have them I would have to ask you to stamp your feet instead of applaud.. That way I'd feel the vibrations through the floor.. so.. hobnail boots are welcome at my performances..
I tell you these things to make a point.. The point is.. just because I am deaf does not mean I can't hear. Just because I am almost blind does not mean that I don't see.. You see I have the other senses that give me the gift of imagination.. the ability to feel the sound, to enhance a vision.
And my great vision is that all Deaf, Blind and Deafblind children can appreciate music, to feel it, to perceive it.. the beauty of it… to play it, to see it in their imagination.
You see Music is a profound gift to the human spirit. Music makes you sing, dance.. builds your confidence and co-ordination. Music opens your heart, and it heals your mind.. Thank you.
Orla O Sullivan is a Deaf-Blind pianist, and teacher. She uses music as a way of overcoming her profound deafness and visual impairment. Qualified teacher since 1991, she teaches music in a unique and successful way, as to which her many pupils can attest.

“Through my music I have found a freedom.. the freedom to express myself, to entertain, to achieve, and not let disability limit my enjoyment and celebration of life”

But her greatest joy comes from performing in front of a live audience. This is where she can feel and share the music of the great composers. Composers like Chopin, Debussy, Liszt, and Beethoven, to name a few. She also plays music from the most popular film scores and musicals.

You can view some of her performances through her website at: www.orlaosullivan.ie. For bookings she can be contacted at her website or by (text only) at 087 915 94 94, or Tel: (Dan) 087 620 74 60, and Email: boosullivan@eircom.net. Her CD ‘Sound Senses’ can be purchased through her website, or from, Cork School Of Music, Pro Musica, Cork City Library, and the Cork Deaf Association.

Thoughts on communication through music after a recent performance:
Thank you for coming.. And thank you for listening.. What you just heard was Consolation by Franz Liszt, who wrote this timeless masterpiece nearly two hundred years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N70kXajzjcc&feature=related
When this was written there were no sound recordings, no CDs, no websites, and no hearing aids. I know you applauded, because I could just about see your hands move.. and yes I did hear it too.. Faintly..
You see I wear powerful hearing aids.. If I did not have them I would have to ask you to stamp your feet instead of applaud.. That way I'd feel the vibrations through the floor.. so.. hobnail boots are welcome at my performances..
I tell you these things to make a point.. The point is.. just because I am deaf does not mean I can't hear. Just because I am almost blind does not mean that I don't see.. You see I have the other senses that give me the gift of imagination.. the ability to feel the sound, to enhance a vision.
And my great vision is that all Deaf, Blind and Deafblind children can appreciate music, to feel it, to perceive it.. the beauty of it… to play it, to see it in their imagination.
You see Music is a profound gift to the human spirit. Music makes you sing, dance.. builds your confidence and co-ordination. Music opens your heart, and it heals your mind.. Thank you.

Orla, the world's first Deaf-Blind music teacher, pianist and performer, uses music as a way of overcoming her profound deafness and visual impairment. Unlike Beethoven, who became Deaf in his adulthood, Orla was only six weeks old when she became Deaf-Blind due to medication for an illness. She was a premature baby who contracted an infection in hospital. She was given oxygen and streptomycin which damaged both her eyes and ears. She was taught nursery rhymes and songs by her mother, which stimulated her musical ear from an early age. She helped her play the piano by holding her fingers on the keys so that she could feel the vibration and hear the sounds. She started formal piano lessons at the age of six and through her school years she got the highest scores in her music Inter and Leaving Cert exam ear tests. She also learned several instruments including violin, guitar, piano accordion, electronic keyboard, and organ. She has an Associate Diploma in Performance for Piano (A.T.C.L.) by Trinity College London. She also has Diploma in Youth and Community Work (U.C.C), Music Performance, Management and Sound, and a teacher’s Cert VCM. She also studied organ in St. Fin Barr’s Cathedral.

Breaking Barriers

As Orla has DSL ( Dual Sensory Loss ) since an illness in her early childhood, there were many obstacles and barriers that prevented her from participating in all the usual childhood activities such as – games in the school yard and in the park, cycling, (sight) and P.E In her teenage years her social activities were limited and it still is a problem when she is with the able bodied community – “I am always, nearly always left out in a group situation unless I have someone by my side to sign or interpret for me.” The one and only aspect of her life which has sustained her and helped her to overcome these barriers is her love of music. Through my music I have found a freedom – freedom to entertain myself, to feel uplifted and worthy, a sense of achievement and getting noticed when I performed, instead of being “left out.” Many Hard of Hearing/Deaf have expressed their delight at being able to enjoy her playing – as they can feel the tempo/beat from the piano. They find it relaxing and easy to listen to. This is due mainly to the fact that Orla plays solo piano pieces which are easy to listen to. This feedback inspired me to make a CD which would benefit people with sight and hearing disabilities, and of course the general public will also enjoy this music!

Welcome to the web site of Orla O'Sullivan. The performances below was captured from the KC Sessions at the Crane Lane Theatre in April 2011. In it she plays the the classic "Clair de Lune" by Claude DeBussy. This 200 year old masterpiece is one of Orla's favourites.

The video below was for the information South Korean TV who made a documentary featuring Orla O'Sullivan's work. The clip shows excerpts of the teaching methods of Betty O'Sullivan, exampling how she taught Orla to speak.

This is a rushed edit clip from the Maynooth DeafBlind Conference. You can fill most of the gaps by viewing the other videos.

See more clips and more information:

Thank you for coming.. And thank you for listening.. What you just heard was Consolation by Franz Liszt, who wrote this timeless masterpiece nearly two hundred years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N70kXajzjcc&feature=related

When this was written there were no sound recordings, no CDs, no websites, and no hearing aids.
I know you applauded, because I could just about see your hands move.. and yes I did hear it too.. Faintly..
You see I wear powerful hearing aids.. If I did not have them I would have to ask you to stamp your feet instead of applaud.. That way I'd feel the vibrations through the floor.. so.. hobnail boots are welcome at my performances..
I tell you these things to make a point.. The point is.. just because I am deaf does not mean I can't hear. Just because I am almost blind does not mean that I don't see.. You see I have the other senses that give me the gift of imagination.. the ability to feel the sound, to enhance a vision.
And my great vision is that all Deaf, Blind and Deafblind children can appreciate music, to feel it, to perceive it.. the beauty of it… to play it, to see it in their imagination.
You see Music is a profound gift to the human spirit. Music makes you sing, dance.. builds your confidence and co-ordination. Music opens your heart, and it heals your mind.. Thank you.

The subtitled TV3 news.

ORLA:
Good afternoon everybody, you are all very welcome. Thank you for coming and I hope you are enjoying this very important event for the DeafBlind Community..

My name is Orla, and I am both deaf and visually impaired.

I am a qualified music teacher. I teach Piano and Keyboard to deaf and hearing pupils. I teach from beginners up to diploma level.

This includes all the Theory, Aural, Sightreading, Scales, and Practical skills.

I am the first DeafBlind person to qualify as a music teacher at this level. I am the only DeafBlind person in Ireland to have been taught to this standard.

And my great ambition is to pass this knowledge on to the DeafBlind
Community. To make it possible for anyone to learn, play, and enjoy
Piano and Keyboard to the highest standard.

I am going to begin by showing you a short video of one of my classes with a deaf pupil. His name is Alain, And he is 12 years old. The other star of the show is the “Music Floor”

SHOW ALAIN’S CLASS.. 4 minutes

ORLA:
Are there any questions?

I would like to play a piece on the piano for you to demonstrate that hearing and sight impairment does not mean that you can not learn and
Understand music.

The piece I have chosen is one of my favourites. It’s called Consolations, by Franz Listz.

PLAY CONSOLATION

ORLA:
I am now going to show you another video. This is about the “Music Scholar”

Until recently there was no technical aid suitable for me to read a music score and play simultaneously.
So it was a very long and tedious process for me to learn a piece of music. It meant I had to memorise thousands of notes and composition directions from the music score.

It was my love of music that gave me the patience and determination to do it. But it was exhausting .

That all changed with the Music Scholar.

Now I can read easily, and play while I read. It has saved me so much time and effort. And it has improved my skills as a musician, and as a teacher. Please watch.

PLAY “MUSIC SCHOLAR VIDEO ..4 MINUTES
ORLA:

Any questions?
ORLA:
This is the last video I am going to show. It is with one of my advanced
Students.. Her name is Anna.

PLAY ANNA VIDEO… 8 min

ORLA:

Any other questions?

ORLA:
I’d like to play another piece. This is more modern. It’s called “The Life And Times Of David Lloyd George.

I would like to finish with Clair De Lune, by DeBussy.

THANK YOU.

I have brought some cds with me, for anyone who wishes to buy one. I made the CD to show it could be done by a DeafBlind person. It contains a mixture of classical and popular tunes.. You heard me play some earlier.

Any further information on what I do can be found on my website www.orlaosullivan.ie.

Again I thank you for coming.. and for listening. I would also like to thank Karen Coleman, for bringing me here. She was absolutely brilliant all the way through. I would like to thank Fiona and all the NUI staff , technical, and otherwise for all their help. They made us feel very welcome.

I would like to thank my fellow presenters for all their kindnesses and help and encouragement. I wish them all well for the future. Thank you.

WE MADE THE NATIONAL NEWS:::: TV3
ALAIN AND ORLA INTRODUCE THE IMUSIC FLOOR
TO THEWORLD.. 22-02-2012

Alain and Orla introduce the imusic floor to the world 22-02-2012.

The " imusic floor (c)" was designed and commissioned by Orla O'Sullivan www.orlaosullivan.ie and Dan Elliott. The imusic floor was inspired by conversations with music therapist Russ Palmer (russpalmer.com) and from studying similar technology used in Finland.

The floor allows for the mechanics of amplified music to be absorbed into the body by way of vibrations. With careful observation and annotation of these mechanics a deaf listener is able to learn and decipher the tone, tempo, and volume of music.

With this information the deaf student is able to play a musical instrument. With expert teaching from classicly trained and qualified Orla O'Sullivan the deaf student will be able to gain knowledge to exam standard in Music theory, Aural, and Sightreading. These skills will allow the student to read, write, compose, play and enjoy music in ways that were thought impossible heretofore.

"Disability is no barrier to learning" Orla O'Sullivan 2012.

DeafBlind Conference

Maynooth"

NUI Maynooth, 25-02-2012.
From 10am.

Please have a look around the rest of the site, and feel free to get in touch if you like. Orla's new CD, Sound Senses, was officially launched by Evelyn Grant on the 23rd of July, 2010, at the Cork School of Music.