D/deaf young people assume that ‘music is not for them’, and rarely see ‘people like them’ making music, with support networks and teachers often not recognising their ability to make music. Children from generational families of deafness have low expectations of themselves when participating in music opportunities because their parents were also excluded from music making. There are very few music teachers and workshop leaders who know how to communicate effectively with D/deaf children.

NCEM runs I Can Play sessions as part of York Music Centre’s mainstream music education programme. Sessions are led by Sean Chandler – a professional trumpet player who is profoundly deaf, signs and speaks and wears two hearing aids – with support from a BSL interpreter and two trained assistants. Sean is an important role model and, for most, is the first deaf musician that the young people have met. I Can Play also provides deaf-awareness training for music teachers across York/Yorkshire.