Our son Tomas Vos started losing his hearing at age of 3 and by the age of 5 Tomas was almost completely deaf. Fortunately, Tomas qualified for Cochlear Implants, which allowed him to continue enjoying music, much like any hearing person.

Cochlear implants are not normal hearing, and it does provide additional challenges to learning an instrument. The drums provide additional sensory feedback, which makes it a great instrument for people with hearing difficulties.

Further inspired by the movie The Sound of Metal, about a drummer losing his hearing and getting cochlear implants Tomas passed his grade 1 Drums exam in 2023 with merit. He has wide taste in music covering everything from Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran, Eminem to Rage Against the Machine. We are exceptionally proud of Tomas pursuing his love of music with such dedication and joy, and would like to nominate him for overcoming deafness to enjoy music to its fullest.