A Heart for Ears

He is severely hearing impaired, but nevertheless he is a professional musician – the German Daniel Denecke is able to pursue his profession because he uses hearing aids. He wants to share his experiences with the hearing disability with other affected people to support their self-confidence. For this reason he founded the organisation "Ear to Heart”.

01/09/2011

Ever since he was a child Daniel
writes his own songs; © Katharina
Seegel/Median Verlag

„Music is a medium of communication for me,“ says Daniel Denecke who lives close to Hamburg. „The radio and music have always been my best friends in my childhood, I could turn them up.“ This was important for him because he had problems with hearing since he was a child. However, this was detected too late. The severe hearing impairment developed through hearing damages in the childhood. Hearing got worse and worse. So he had to use hearing aids.

„Without hearing aids I could not hear almost anything; especially not the way I do now. When I hear songs with hearing aids which I already heard when I was a child or youngster I discover new instrumentations or arrangements which I did not perceive earlier. This is fantastic,“ explains Denecke and he is glad.

The "Ear to Heart Organisation"

The citizen of Hamburg already played as a supporting act of stars like Joe Cocker, Whitney Houston and The Corrs, travelled through the world. However, he now wants to achieve more: „I want to talk about the taboo topic hearing aids or Cochlear implants.“

The pupils like Daniel's music; © Katharina
Seegel/Median Verlag

For this purpose he founded the organisation "Ear to Heart”. At schools for hearing-impaired children and at regular schools he and his wife advocate for better and more careful hearing. He talks about his life with a hearing impairment, how it developed and how one can avoid it. With a guitar and a mouth organ he presents own songs which deal with the topic hearing and disability. Every now and then he is supported by sign language interpreters.

Moreover, in addition to his hearing loss Daniel Denecke has a tinnitus, a constant rushing in the ears. He warns: „To many people are not aware of how sensitive the hearing sense is and that already a MP3 player can cause a lot of damage.” The Deneckes want to encourage children with hearing difficulties: „There are so many thing they are able to do”, Daniel Denecke stresses.

Daniel singing his new song "Box, Push and Fight" in a boxing ring; © Michaela Pollack

To get support for his project Daniel Denecke wrote a letter to the German social and health minister Aygül Özkan. „I was surprised when I received a personally signed letter from the ministry in which she welcomed my plan to sensitise children, youngsters and their relatives for the subject hearing and to motivate them. The letter in reply of the minister moved a lot.“ Now, the project is promoted by the ministry from Lower Saxony for women, family, health and integration.

Unexpected abilities

The reactions of their young listeners show that the Deneckes chose an effective way to spread their message. „In the education centres for hearing disabled people some pupils were really surprised that I can work as a professional musician, anyway,“ remembers Daniel Denecke.

Some pupils are practising some of Daniel Denecke’s songs which they soon want to present together. This does not only improve the artistic abilities of the kids, but strengthens their self-confidence, as the artist knows.

Natascha Mörs
REHACARE.de

- More about Daniel Denecke at: www.eartoheart.com

Daniel Denecke at REHACARE 2011

Daniel Denecke will present some of his songs at this year’s REHACARE in Düsseldorf, Germany. Time: Friday, 23.9.2011; From 16.15 till 17.30 o'clock. Hall 9, Booth of the BSNW (Behinderten-Sportverband NRW)