One-Handed Musical Instruments Take Centre Stage In Birmingham

Celebrating 15 years of The OHMI Trust and the extraordinary possibilities of inclusive music-making

What happens when talented musicians refuse to let physical barriers stand between them and the music they love?

At the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on 12 September, audiences were given a powerful answer: music can be adapted, instruments can be reimagined, and remarkable musicians can flourish when they are given the right opportunities.

The concert, organised by Birmingham-based music disability charity The OHMI Trust, celebrated the organisation’s 15th anniversary and showcased the incredible achievements of musicians who play instruments using one hand or specially designed enabling equipment.

From a 10-year-old trumpet player performing the James Bond Theme to a pianist who has made history by passing ABRSM Grade 8 using only one hand, the evening demonstrated just how much is possible when barriers to music-making are removed.

Celebrating 15 years of changing what’s possible

For 15 years, The OHMI Trust has worked to enable children and adults with upper limb absence, impairment or weakness to play the instruments they want to play.

Its work goes far beyond simply adapting an instrument. OHMI commissions research into accessible musical instrument design, supports the development and manufacture of adapted instruments, makes instruments available through its OHMI Instrument Hire Scheme, and helps disabled musicians find appropriately qualified teachers.

The charity’s aim is simple but transformative: people should be able to play the instruments they want, when they want and wherever they want — whether that is at school, at home or as part of a professional ensemble.

The anniversary concert brought that ambition to life.

Young musicians showing the art of the possible

The evening opened with performances from some of the youngest members of OHMI’s Music-Makers programme.

Among them was 10-year-old Luca, who brought plenty of energy to the stage with a powerful performance of the iconic James Bond Theme on trumpet.

His performance set the tone for an evening that was as much about possibility as it was about musical achievement.

Throughout the concert, musicians of different ages and backgrounds performed alongside students and alumni of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, creating a celebration of musical talent, collaboration and inclusion.

Extraordinary musicians, extraordinary stories

The programme featured a diverse range of instruments and musical experiences.

Edit van der Burg, a musician from Hungary, performed on the one-handed flute following a significant brain injury.

Teenage pianist Freya Terris showcased her exceptional musicianship after recently making history as the first person to pass ABRSM Grade 8 using only one hand.

OHMI trustee Liane Todd performed on one-handed clarinet. Liane lives with complex regional pain syndrome following a life-changing accident, but continues to share her love of music and advocate for greater inclusion.

Esther Mannouch returned to music-making after losing the use of her dominant hand as a result of the long-term effects of cancer treatment. She performed on the one-handed recorder.

Flautist Rebekah Goulston, whose cerebral palsy affects conventional playing of the instrument, demonstrated how an adapted approach can open up opportunities for musicians.

And Chris Griffiths, a French horn player, conductor and teacher living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, performed using a specially designed French horn stand developed through an OHMI-supported innovation project.

Each musician had a different story. But together, their performances made a shared point: a physical impairment does not have to mean giving up an instrument or giving up on musical ambitions.

More than an evening of music

The concert was also an opportunity to bring together people who share a passion for making music more accessible.

Event organiser Emma Brown, an OHMI trustee and postgraduate research student at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for everyone to play, create and perform music to the highest level.

She also thanked the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, the performers and the students and alumni who gave their time to support the event.

The presence of the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zaker Choudhry, added further recognition to the occasion.

Speaking at the concert, the Lord Mayor said that before the event he had not known about OHMI, and praised the organisation and the musicians he had seen perform.

For many people in the audience, the evening may have been their first introduction to the work of The OHMI Trust.

Making your own kind of music

The concert ended with a fitting finale.

OHMI musicians joined forces with students and alumni of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to perform Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil’s “Make Your Own Kind of Music”, specially arranged for the occasion by OHMI Chair of Trustees Clare Salters.

It was an apt choice for an organisation dedicated to helping people find ways to make music on their own terms.

The massed ensemble brought together musicians who had travelled very different musical journeys, demonstrating what can happen when adapted instruments, specialist expertise, teaching and opportunity come together.

Continuing the celebration

The anniversary concert formed part of OHMI’s “15 for 15” fundraising campaign, which is encouraging concert and ensemble performers to organise their own events throughout the charity’s anniversary year to raise funds and awareness.

The initiative reflects the wider importance of OHMI’s work. Accessible music-making depends not only on talented performers, but also on research, instrument design, specialist teaching, funding and a community willing to challenge assumptions about who can play what.

The 15th anniversary concert showed what that support can make possible.

For the musicians on stage, it was an opportunity to perform. For the audience, it was an opportunity to discover a different perspective on musical ability. And for OHMI, it was a celebration of 15 years spent making music more accessible — while looking towards the possibilities of the next 15.

Because sometimes, changing the instrument can change what someone believes is possible.