Eloise Garland is a professional musician, teacher and Deaf awareness campaigner based in London. She trained at Chetham’s School of Music and City, University of London. Working with a wide range of organisations including Music of Life Foundation, Decibels, Audiovisability (and Yorkshire Youth and Music), she promotes full inclusion and access to music for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Her documentary Listening Without Ears explores ways that people with hearing loss engage with music and sound. It broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2017 and was the first subtitled radio documentary aired by the BBC.

Eloise is one of the two musicians, along with Sean Chandler, who features in our 2020 series of online music education videos called 'Deaf and Musical', introducing D/deaf children to musical principles and instruments.

Eloise has also recently worked with YY&M on our Deaf Instrumental Learning project. Here’s what Eloise said about our work in Yorkshire:

"Society assumes that deaf people cannot engage in music – but this assumption has led to very few opportunities in music for deaf children. YY&M’s Deaf Instrumental Learning project is tackling these assumptions by introducing music to deaf children across Yorkshire."

"As a deaf musician myself, I was delighted to deliver workshops to deaf children at three locations: Bradford, Sheffield and Wakefield, in collaboration with YY&M. The children were excited to learn about music and play a variety of instruments including the violin, trumpet, and flute, and will be able to continue learning an instrument of their choice through their local music service. The workshops highlighted to the children and their teachers, parents and friends that deaf people can be musicians, given the opportunity and the right support. I think this project is very important – not only because it gives deaf children the same opportunities as their hearing peers, but also because it highlights that being deaf is no barrier to engaging in music. I feel privileged to have been involved in this fantastic project."