Volume 77 Jul/Dez

ON THE BRAIN, MIND, MUSIC AND DEAF COMPOSERS. A LITERATURE REVIEW AND COMMENTS. PART I .

Roberto  M.  NEVES-PINTO  ,  (  M.D.,  Ph.D),  otorhinolaryngology  professor,  Lt  col  (ret.)  Brazilian  Air  Force  M.C.;  Roberto  C. MEIRELLES , (M.D., Ph.D), otorhinolaryngology professor ; Othon BASTOS (M.S.,Ph.D.), psychiatry emeritus professor ; Sylvio L. C. de MORAES, (M.D.,D.D.S.),;maxillofacial surgeon, col. Brazilian Air Force  & Claudia NEVES-PINTO  (psychologist)

SUMMARY.

The  fact that some famous  deaf  musicians  (like  Beethoven,  Smetana and  Fauré)  composed  important works  ( including celebrated masterpieces ) despite deafness is very well known. For HARRISON (20), “a further question to consider is the origin of musical invention in the absence of external auditory stimuli and cues.”

After literature review on the subject ( detailled in the full text paper and barely summarized here ),  we believe that ʻinner hearingʼ and  musical imagery would  have been responsible for the music invention  ability of  some deaf composers that had musical talent (or geniality) and  music notation mastery.