Australian University math teacher Matthew Mack once dreamed of becoming a professional cellist. Having been diagnosed with partial hearing loss when he was just two years old, at five, his parents introduced him to the cello as an opportunity to broaden his hearing experience and expose him to more sounds. Matthew played the cello throughout his public school years, eventually developing a near perfect pitch memory for the notes of his instrument.
Despite this, Matthew’s curiosity lead him to pursue a degree in music at Melbourne University, exploring the possibility of success as a cellist who is hard of hearing. At the time, there was no network of musicians with hearing loss in Australia, and the few musicians he did encounter were reluctant to discuss this aspect of their lives. He soon realized that as a musician who identifies as hard of hearing, he had to work much harder simply to be on the same par with his university peers.
Although the arts industry is raising awareness of access for audiences, there is still a great deal of work to do to support musicians with disabilities.
After completing his Bachelor of Music degree, Matthew went into a deep depression, leading him to change his course of study and career path to Mathematics. Today he has taken up his cello again, offering him the opportunity to explore and practice his creativity.
Matthew’s favorite cello piece is Bach’s Cello suite in D major, which embodies the optimism to which he aspires.
WXXI Classical promotes and supports inclusion for musicians of all abilities through programming and special events. WXXI’s Move to Include Initiative is made possible by a generous grant from the Golisano Foundation.
Music: J.S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 6 in D