BBC News: Paralysed Musician Performs Again

A trumpet player who was told he would never play again after becoming paralysed has resumed performing with a specially designed instrument.

Clarence Adoo has been in a wheelchair since a car accident 10 years ago left him severely disabled. The accomplished musician has given a solo performance at a music festival in Orkney using a computer-aided instrument. It is operated by a head-mounted sensor and highly controlled breaths.

Breath control
The instrument, called Head Space, was designed by electronic music specialist Rolf Gelhhaar and composer John Kenny. 

Mr Adoo, who formerly played with Northern Sinfonia, unveiled the instrument at the St Mungo's festival on Wednesday where appeared with the Royal Scottish Academy's brass section.

Since his accident, Mr Adoo has continued to exercise the sophisticated breath control required of a professional brass player and with the new instrument uses a tube and the head sensor to access a library of sounds.

He hopes his performance will inspire other disabled musicians.

To read the full 2005 BBC article, visit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4119956.stm

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