Hearing Loss no obstacle to a music career for talented Christchurch woman
Talented pianist Rebekah Stewart has won a coveted position at the 4th International Music Festival “Beats of Cochlea”
in Poland for people with hearing loss.
‘Beats of Cochlea’ was created by Polish surgeon Prof. Henryk Skarżyński in 2015 to help hearing implant users express their musical
talents and to show the world that hearing loss is not an obstacle to a music career. This year’s festival runs from 9-12 July 2018 in Warsaw Poland.
“I have always loved classical music and my favourite composer is Chopin, who was originally from Poland. To win a trip
to Poland has made a childhood dream come true”
Listening to music is a milestone achievement for people with severe to profound hearing loss. Thanks to hearing
implants, many users are able to enjoy their favourite songs, while others take their love of music one step further by
playing instruments, singing, composing and recording music. To people with normal hearing it is still astounding to see
how well musicians with hearing implants perform.
Rebekah explains “Having a hearing loss has meant that I struggled to hear and critique my own playing but also going to classical
performances such as operas and symphony orchestras has been difficult. Since getting my MED-EL BoneBridge implant all of that has changed, I can now even discern when different parts of the orchestra are playing, and I am
teaching students piano performance and music theory”
Rebekah now holds a Bachelor of Music from the University if Canterbury, Christchurch and has achieved all grades in
piano performance through the Royal Schools of Music. At the festival Rebekah will have the opportunity to further
develop her skills under the guidance of famous musicians, artists and teachers.
The festival is sponsored by MED-EL, one of the world’s leaders in hearing implant development. Continuous technological
advances in the hearing implants field ensure that users are provided with every possibility to fulfil their hearing
dreams. MED-EL plays a key role in enabling them to enjoy listening to music through specifically designed features that
enable recipients to perceive music in a more natural way and enjoy the intricate notes of their favourite songs more
clearly and accurately.
Rebekah’s ENT surgeon Dr Melanie Souter commented:
“Rebekah absolutely deserves this opportunity to play at the 2018 Beats of Cochlea in Poland. She is a very talented
pianist! The BoneBridge bone conduction implant has helped Rebekah, (who is unable to wear standard hearing aids) not
only in everyday communication, but also with her music, and given her more confidence in everyday life.”
For more information about ‘Beats of Cochlea’ visit www.festiwal.ifps.org.pl. To find out more about MED-EL please visit www.medel.com.