What A Deaf Musical Genius Can Teach Us About Hearing Loss

January 18, 2016

There many examples of talented people throughout history who experienced hearing loss and yet still created wonderful things that we continue to enjoy today. One of those talented people, and perhaps the most famous, was Ludwig van Beethoven. Born 245 years ago, Beethoven grew to become one of the most well-known and gifted musical geniuses in history. Even more remarkably, he did so while suffering from hearing loss; Towards the end of his life, Beethoven could not hear at all!

The inspirational Ludwig van Beethoven certainly did not allow hearing loss to hold him back. Well after he had succumbed to deafness, Beethoven composed arguably his most famous composition, The Ninth Symphony. The man could not even hear the applause that he received for his exquisite music.

Lucky for us, Beethoven often communicated with a “conversation notebook”, and many of these books have since been discovered and released to the public in the 1970s. From these notebooks and other letters written by Beethoven, we are able to understand just how difficult his hearing problems were for the musical genius.

“My poor hearing haunted me everywhere like a ghost; and I have avoided all human society,” he once wrote in a letter. “I seem a misanthrope and yet am far from being one.”

How sad would it be to create something so wonderful and not be able to hear it? If only Beethoven had had hearing aids! Hearings aids and listening devices can allow you to enjoy the sweet music and sounds that hearing loss takes away from you. Set up an appointment with a Registered Hearing Aid Practitioner at Academy Hearing to understand your hearing needs and if there is a solution to your hearing problems. Trust us - The Ninth Symphony is worth the listen!

To learn more about Ludwig van Beethoven and his hearing loss, read this article written by TIME.