Artist Releases Debut Album Despite Hearing Impairment

“I’ve recorded this album as a celebration of my hearing and overcoming a serious and lifelong condition,” stated Tom Gockelen-Kozlowski. He described the moment he learned of his potential imminent hearing loss as “shattering,” leading him to spend the subsequent three years listening to music without interruption. He recounted a significant decline in his work productivity, driven by thoughts such as “My productivity at work dived while I was thinking ‘maybe this is the last time I can listen to The Strokes’ Is This It,'”. Diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), he has completely lost hearing in his left ear and half in his right, yet he is on the verge of releasing his first album. Tom, 37, from Oxford, performs under the stage name Tom Gk and has utilized a hearing aid since his mid-twenties. He clarified that NF2 “basically means I grow non-cancerous tumours on my nerves.” He added: “They really like growing in the head and around the ears… but the NHS is a marvellous thing and I started on an experimental drug [Bevacizumab] and it’s kept my hearing basically the same for 10 years.” Nonetheless, he was compelled to make adjustments, including resigning from his role as a music critic for the Daily Telegraph. During his tenure, he penned glowing reviews, such as noting the “moving sense of world-weariness” from Bob Dylan at Hop Farm Festival, and some less favorable ones (Keane’s Night Train EP was deemed “ploddingly predictable”). Consequently, he ventured into comedy, authoring four hour-long shows, one of which was “Hearing Loss: The Musical,” performed at the Edinburgh Fringe. He continues to perform weekly with the improv group the Oxford Imps. However, Tom’s primary ambition was to create an album while his hearing still allowed. At a songwriting retreat organized by Mercury Prize-nominated folk singer Kathryn Williams, he met Polly Paulusma, whom he enlisted to produce his new collection of songs and assist him through the creative process. The project focused on tracks featuring catchy hooks, primarily built around Tom’s guitar and vocals. His admiration for artists like The Beatles, Beck, The White Stripes, and XTC is distinctly apparent. “I wonder whether because I don’t have the hearing range that everybody does, whether that kind of memorable melody is the top thing,” he pondered. The outcome is the album “Somehow We Made it,” set for release on 31 January, which he characterized as “about me and the people around me – it’s been a journey”. The lead single, “Winning,” is a personal composition that explores the concept of cherishing life when faced with adversity. “There’s a part of you that says I must now take full advantage of everything,” he explained. “That I must live for the moment, I must be winning. The conceit of the song is that it’s pretty hard to do that.” Another track, “One Star,” drew inspiration from a particularly harsh review, where the former critic experienced a taste of his own medicine. Its lyrics—”I’m a five star dreamer, four star musician/I’m a three star comic with some two star jokes/You’re my one star, I love you the most”—epitomize Tom Gk’s self-deprecating humor, a recurring element in much of his work. “You’ve got to [see the funny side]. Maybe I’ve got a lot of dark things I could sing about but I think that brings humour to my music,” he commented. Regarding “One Star,” he stated: “You feel very exposed and naked when you have a review… I channelled that vulnerability and decided to turn it into a love song.” Tom acknowledged that he cannot hear the audience when performing live. “You’re looking at the faces,” he said, but also expressed enjoyment of this “blissful ignorance.” He further added: “When there’s other noises about I can completely go to pieces”. Consequently, performing solo currently suits him best, finding the “idea of maybe being in a band scarier.” “Who knows? Maybe the next stage is me playing Glenn Miller style with a 26-piece big band.” **Neurofibromatosis type 2** A genetic condition that causes tumours to grow along nerves, such as those responsible for hearing and balance. Symptoms include: Source: NHS You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.