Orla O'Sullivan Deaf-Blind pianist, teacher, improviser, and motivator

Irish Times Orla’s Article with Colette Sheridan. 25th Aug 2010-08-25

Q How you physically work and what technology you use?

My disability does not prevent me from physically playing my musical instruments.
However , learning and reading my music scores has been extremely difficult. I have to get the scores enlarged and then read it up close to me, then play it over and over until I memorise it.. This takes many hours of hard work and a lot of concentration.
Until recently there was no low vision aid and technology suitable for me to enable me to read and play simultaneously.
Last May I attended the ‘Sight Village’ exhibition in Ballincolig , where there was many samples of low vision aids – all manufactured in the UK
I did find one piece of technology very suitable for my needs.

Q How does the technology help you?

This piece ‘ Readit Scholar’ will enlarge up to three staves (A stave is a made up of 5 lines and 4 spaces on which the musical notes are written) large enough for me to read without leaning forward and play at the same time.
I would really love to get this piece of equipment , but it is so so so slow to get anything through the NCBI – National Council for the Blind.
I have applied to the NCBI for a grant , which would give me one third off the full price, but they are incredibly slow.I have made numerous contacts and have failed to make any headway.

Q How did you make you CD?

I got the idea of making a CD when I met and attended other deaf and blind musician’s performances, and from listening to their CDs and reading their stories.These musicians in particular have inspired and encouraged me to make my CD.
They are, Deaf flautist Elizabeth Petcu from Dublin, Paul Whitaker from Manchester who runs his own music centre called Music and the Deaf, percussionist Evelyn Glennie from Scotland, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, and DeafBlind music therapist Russ Palmer.
I performed at Elizabeth Petcu’s special concert two years ago in Dublin. I also played in Europe for the Deaf International Dance Festivals and at places like Vienna, Santender and Cyprus.
The CD contains solo pieces and extracts from Bach, Haydn, Schubert, Chopin, , Debin ULussy, Myers and a traditional air.

Q Your ambition is to compose your own piece. What would be the challenges in doing that?

I’d love to have access to a composition teacher , but the Schools and Colleges of Music don’t seem to consider Deaf and DeafBlind eligible for lessons.
I have heard that there is better access and education for people like me in UL, Dublin , UK and Finland.
I would love if these facilities were available in Cork.

Q You also teach music . Is that difficult?

No I don’t find it difficult to teach music, I have been teaching since 1991.
I started teaching children from the age of six upwards – some continue until they are in third level colleges.
I have no problem teaching them because I know all the scores and theory very well. I really love my job and it gives me tremendous satisfaction and joy when my pupils do extremely well in their exams every year.

Q You said you’d like to have a music centre for the Deaf and Blind people. Are you going to persue that?

I am really inspired by the work of Paul Whitaker , founder of Music and the Deaf in the UK , and Russ Palmer who is the world’s first DeafBlind music therapist.
I have been talking with Evelyn Grant in Cork Music Works about doing something similar here.
This will take time and a lot of research and I hope I will be able to do it some day.