History Main / DeafComposer

Contrast CreativeSterility, where a character is unable to create art (or procreate) not because they lack the corresponding senses but out of a lack of creative spark. Compare BlindMusician, for visually impaired music artists. Opposite of DreamCrushingHandicap, where it becomes physically impossible to follow the dream.

* Beni-Enma from ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' is a SupremeChef, but she has no tongue and thus can't actually taste anything. She was able to become such a skilled cook solely by observing other people's reactions when eating her food.

* Several chefs on ''{{Series/Chopped}}'' have created dishes with mystery ingredients they can't taste due to allergies or other dietary restrictions (e.g., a Kosher chef cooking prosciutto or a vegetarian chef cooking meat). When one chef got through two rounds despite being allergic to ingredients in both, his competitor worried about how well he might do when he could actually taste the food.

* English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams served in the Royal Artillery during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, and his time surrounded by loud and powerful guns resulted in his going completely deaf later in life; but his hearing loss didn't stop him from composing concert pieces and film scores right up to his death in 1957.

* As mentioned in the trope description, [[Music/LudwigVanBeethoven Beethoven]] suffered from deafness later in his life. The cause of this disability has been argued, with such possibilities as lead poisoning, syphilis, or even his habit of dunking his head in cold water to stay awake being cited. Didn't stop him from creating masterpieces, however.

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* Played with in ''Manga/MedakaBox'' as an android who, understandably has no tastebuds, has won a cooking contest.

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[[folder: Fan Fiction ]]

* %workname% This ''Series/BattlestarGalactica1978'' and ''Series/RedDwarf'' crossover fanfiction had the Cylons reprogrammed into avid bakers set on providing the galaxy with quality baked goods. Since they lack taste receptors, they force Baltar to be their taste tester. [[HumiliationConga Their bread is horrible.]]
* In ''Fanfic/InnocenceOnceLost'' the alternate Rarity is blind but it hasn't damaged her dressmaking skills one bit.

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* In an episode of ''Series/DrQuinnMedicineWoman'', a nature photographer ''à la'' Matthew Brady comes to town, who is secretly losing his vision. He takes Sully on as a local assistant, pretending to teach him the basics of photography but actually using his eyes to frame the photos.

* ''{{Series/House}}'': As the canonical Wounded Healer, Dr Gregory House's medical genius bestows a second chance at life to almost all of his patients, while his own prolonged state of misery implies that he himself is unable to enjoy life.

* ''{{Series/Probe}}'''s "[[Recap/ProbeNowYouSeeIt Now You See It....]]": John Bolt is a sculptor who had gone blind many years ago. He now works out of a junkyard, manufacturing kinetic sculptures that mostly work on electricity. He says he hates rich businessmen and only sells the worst of his creations to them (for inflated prices) because he hates them. He refuses to sell to Austin, though, since Austin merely [[TheGadfly annoys]] him.

* ''{{Series/Psych}}'': The ''Series/TwinPeaks'' tribute episode, has the Dual Spires' local photographer reveal that he's secretly blind. Shawn discovers that the man's house is filled with [[RoomFullOfCrazy photographs pinned to every available section of the wall]]... and they're all completely out of focus, with awful lighting, framing, and composition, depicting nothing in particular, and several are hung upside down. This manages to be humorous, tragic, and creepy all at once.

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[[folder: Video Games ]]

* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' has an... odd example with the skill [[YouHaveResearchedBreathing "Torso Awareness,"]] which [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext makes you aware of your torso so you can wear shirts]]. You can only learn this ability from gnomes, who [[WaddlingHead lack torsos]].
* One case in ''[[VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations Ace Attorney Investigations 2]]'' involves two pastry chefs who are losing their ability to taste.

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[[folder: Western Animation ]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams served in the Royal Artillery during UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, and his time surrounded by loud and powerful guns resulted in his going completely deaf later in life, but his hearing loss didn't stop him from composing concert pieces and film scores right up to his death in 1957.
* John Bramblitt is blind. He's also a painter. On [[DailyPlanet Jay Ingram's]] last show on Daily Planet, Bramblitt painted Ingram perfectly after only touching his face � he even got the colors right. You can see a collection of his paintings [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWmalXfWNLc here.]]

* Pete Townshend lost a good deal of his hearing over years of touring with [[Music/TheWho one of the most famously loud rock bands ever]]. He now takes various precautions to keep his remaining hearing strong and to prevent himself from going entirely deaf, [[CoolOldGuy and he still composes and tours]]. He has done a series of [=PSA=]s warning aspiring musicians to protect their ears and once did a commercial for foam earplugs. Roger Daltrey similarly admitted that he had lost his hearing, and Music/NeilYoung's got tinnitus, but says it's gotten better over time as he protects his ears now.[[note]]He's also got hyperacuity, which may be due in part to his age and contributes to his frustration with the sound quality of digital music; since he can hear sounds above and below normal frequency, he can also detect when they're absent.[[/note]] Music/{{Sting}} started wearing hearing aids but doesn't like them because they let him hear things he never could before, including "people talking a lot of shit." Unfortunately hearing aids don't come with a BS filter.

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* In ''WebAnimation/NoEvil'', Xochipilli sacrificed his hearing to seal the black Tezcatlipoca, but it doesn't stop him from using MagicMusic afterward.

* One case in ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations2'' involves two pastry chefs who are losing their ability to taste.

-->-- ''Discworld/SoulMusic''

* Played with in ''Manga/MedakaBox'' as an android who, understandably has no tastebuds, has won a cooking contest.
* In ''Manga/Classi9'', [[TropeNamer Beethoven]] lost his hearing very early in his life. Like his real-life counterpart, it doesn't stop him from composing, but he does appreciate help to write his music. He also comments that operas are the only type of musical works he can still enjoy, as they consist of music and plays.

* Maya Lopez aka Echo, who originated in ''Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}'', is a deaf musician and actress, skills made possible by her adoptive muscle memory, similar to Taskmaster or Finesse.

* One ''Series/BattlestarGalactica1978'' and ''Series/RedDwarf'' crossover fanfiction had the Cylons reprogrammed into avid bakers set on providing the galaxy with quality baked goods. Since they lack taste receptors, they force Baltar to be their taste tester. [[HumiliationConga Their bread is horrible.]]

* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortilla_Soup Tortilla Soup,]]'' starring Hector Elizando as a chef who has lost his sense of taste. An Ethnic Remake of ''Film/EatDrinkManWoman''.

* The [[Music/LudwigVanBeethoven Beethoven]] biopic ''Film/ImmortalBeloved'' contains a small deconstruction. In an early scene, Beethoven is conducting a performance of one his compositions (the ''Emperor'' Concerto), but loses track of where the orchestra should be, and begins giving out erroneous instructions to the orchestra. This confuses the musicians and seriously mars the performance, especially when an enraged Beethoven orders them to start over from the beginning. TruthInTelevision, sadly enough--Beethoven could compose just fine without his hearing, but conducting and performing were another matter, and he was ultimately forced to retire from both pursuits (during the performance of his Ninth Symphony, Beethoven was allowed to stand with the working conductor, but he was only permitted to tap out the tempo before each movement--and the musicians were ordered to ignore any direction he happened to give beyond that).
* ''Film/{{Proof}}'' is about the tribulations of a blind photographer played by Creator/HugoWeaving.

* Ned the Piemaker in ''Series/PushingDaisies'' owns a pie shop (hence the Piemaker title), and manages to stay afloat by buying rotten fruit on discount and using [[BackFromTheDead his powers]] to revitalize them. But if he touches them again, they would return to their original rotten state, so he can never taste his own creations.
* Sometimes inflicted on contestants of ''Series/CutthroatKitchen'', when one of the items up for auction is exclusive rights to taste while cooking.
* ''Series/MasterChef'' Season 3 winner Christine Ha was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOipaGDSBTQ blind]].
* On ''Series/ProjectRunway'', season 9 and All-Star Season 2 contestant Anthony Ryan Auld is colorblind but was often praised for his color choices.

* This is true of any vampire cook in ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem''. Since the curse of undeath also makes any food or drink that isn't blood taste absolutely horrible ''and'' forces them to puke it up in short order, they can cook to their heart's content, but not only will they be unable to eat it, taste-testing is impossible.

* In ''WebAnimation/NoEvil'' Xochipilli sacrificed his hearing to seal the black Tezcatlipoca, but it doesn't stop him from using MagicMusic afterward.

* Bender in ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' is a robot with no taste receptors, yet he avidly enjoys cooking and sharing his creations with his biological friends ([[LethalChef much to their dread]]).
** [[RuleOfFunny For the sake of humor]], he often ''almost'' manages to cook properly. The first time he cooks, he seems to be doing fine; but he finishes by adding a gigantic "dash" of salt, [[UpToEleven and then he pours salt in all the drinks, too]].

* Renowned French painter Claude Monet was almost legally blind towards the end of his life. His cataract surgery left him unable to see any colors other than blue. This was known as his "blue period," and most of his works from that time reflected his vision impairment.
* Sean Forbes is a born-deaf hip-hop artist. He was signed to Web Entertainment, the same independent record label that signed {{Music/Eminem}} before he went with Universal.

A Deaf Composer enjoys cooking, painting, singing, sculpting, or some other creative activity...which they can never experience first-hand, because they suffer from a loss of one (or more) of the senses most closely tied with their art or have a unique biology that won't allow them to experience their creations. This usually results in or from SenseLossSadness, though it may just be that the Deaf Composer has found a way to compensate à la {{Disability Superpower}}s. They may pursue this passion either out of a love of it or as a means to [[BecomeARealBoy compensate for their disability]].

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

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[[AC:FanFiction]]

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

* In an episode of ''Series/DrQuinnMedicineWoman'', a nature photographer ''à la'' Matthew Brady comes to town, who is secretly losing his vision. He takes Sully on as a local assistant, pretending to teach him the basics of photography but actually using his eyes to frame the photos.

[[AC:TabletopRPG]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:Web Animation]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:RealLife]]
* Not a fully blind artist, but apparently the director of ''Film/HouseOfWax1953'', André de Toth, had only one eye and thus couldn't see any of the film's 3-D sequences.

* Czech composer Bedřich Smetana wrote most of his greatest works (including the symphonic suite ''Má vlast'' and the opera ''The Bartered Bride'') after becoming completely deaf later in life. Ironically, his loss of hearing freed him from many of his career obligations, which gave him more time to compose.
* French composer Gabriel Fauré was forced to retire from most of his professional obligations a few years before his death as his hearing loss (and other health problems) became too severe to work through, but he continued to compose; the most notable composition from his final years was his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24pV-0CUCYY String Quartet in E minor,]] and he had to refuse an offer by four musicians to perform it for him while he was on his deathbed, as what little sound he could still hear was horribly distorted.

* John Bramblitt is blind. He's also a painter. On [[DailyPlanet Jay Ingram's]] last show on Daily Planet, Bramblitt painted Ingram perfectly after only touching his face – he even got the colors right. You can see a collection of his paintings [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWmalXfWNLc here.]]

* The ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' book ''Discworld/SoulMusic'' mentioned that most composers have gone deaf by the time they die, this being the gods' idea of a joke. The joke is on the gods, of course. Deafness doesn't prevent a true composer from hearing the music; it prevents them from hearing the distractions.
* ''Literature/HouseOfLeaves'' has Zampano, who wrote his manuscript in the form of a film review despite being blind and therefore unable to view films.

* Pied Piper is the music teacher in ''Literature/DCSuperHeroGirls''. Harley didn't even know he was deaf until Katana mentioned it. He can feel the music more powerfully than hearing people.

* In the web serial novel ''Literature/{{Fishbowl}}'', The Goldfish Technique's drummer Jessica is deaf.

* [[Series/{{House}} Dr. Gregory House]]. As the canonical Wounded Healer, his medical genius bestows a second chance at life to almost all of his patients, while his own prolonged state of misery implies that he himself is unable to enjoy life.
* Several chefs on ''Series/{{Chopped}}'' have created dishes with mystery ingredients they can't taste due to allergies or other dietary restrictions (e.g., a Kosher chef cooking prosciutto or a vegetarian chef cooking meat). When one chef got through two rounds despite being allergic to ingredients in both, his competitor worried about how well he might do when he could actually taste the food.
* Sue on ''Series/SueThomasFBEye'' sings Christmas carols despite being deaf. She jokes that she can tell when she hits the wrong notes by the faces other people make. In her autobiography, the real Sue Thomas (whom the show was based on) describes learning to play piano by memorizing the keys and learning to sing by feeling the vibrations of her mother's voice box.
* Emma Coolidge on ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' is deaf and picks up the cello because her ability, an enhanced form of synesthesia, allows her to see the sound waves as bright colors. She can also concentrate the sound vibrations into a powerful sonic blast.

* Spoofed in ''{{Series/Psych}}''’s ''Series/TwinPeaks'' tribute episode, in which Dual Spires' local photographer reveals that he's secretly blind. Shawn discovers that the man's house is filled with [[RoomFullOfCrazy photographs pinned to every available section of the wall]]... and they're all completely out of focus, with awful lighting, framing, and composition, depicting nothing in particular, and several are hung upside down. This manages to be humorous, tragic, and creepy all at once.
* One episode of ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' had a blind photographer as a witness.

Contrast CreativeSterility, where a character is unable to create art (or procreate) not because they lack the corresponding senses but out of a lack of creative spark. See also the specific SubTrope BlindMusician. Opposite of DreamCrushingHandicap, where it becomes physically impossible to follow the dream.

* Pete Townshend lost a good deal of his hearing over years of touring with [[Music/TheWho one of the most famously loud rock bands ever]]. He now takes various precautions to keep his remaining hearing strong and to prevent himself from going entirely deaf, [[CoolOldGuy and he still composes and tours]].

* The novelization of '''Film/revengeOfTheSith'' has Darth Vader compare himself to one after his crippling.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' has an... odd example with the skill [[YouHaveResearcheBreathing "Torso Awareness,"]] which [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext makes you aware of your torso so you can wear shirts]]. You can only learn this ability from gnomes, who [[WaddlingHead lack torsos]].

* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' has an... odd example with the skill "Torso Awareness," which [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext makes you aware of your torso so you can wear shirts]]. You can only learn this ability from gnomes, who [[WaddlingHead lack torsos]].

A Deaf Composer enjoys cooking, painting, singing, sculpting, or some other creative activity...which they can never experience first-hand, because they suffer from a loss of one (or more) of the senses most closely tied with their art, or have a unique biology that won't allow them to experience their creations. This usually results in or from SenseLossSadness, though it may just be that the Deaf Composer has found a way to compensate à la {{Disability Superpower}}s. They may pursue this passion either out of a love of it or as a means to [[BecomeARealBoy compensate for their disability]].

* Spoofed in ''{{Series/Psych}}''’s ''Series/TwinPeaks'' tribute episode, in which Dual Spires' local photographer reveals that he's secretly blind. Shawn discovers that the man's house is filled with [[RoomFullOfCrazy photographs pinned to every available section of wall]]... and they're all completely out of focus, with awful lighting, framing, and composition, depicting nothing in particular, and several are hung upside down. This manages to be humorous, tragic, and creepy all at once.

A Deaf Composer enjoys cooking, painting, singing, sculpting, or some other creative activity... which they can never experience first-hand, because they suffer from a loss of one (or more) of the senses most closely tied with their art, or have a unique biology that won't allow them to experience their creations. This usually results in or from SenseLossSadness, though it may just be that the Deaf Composer has found a way to compensate à la {{Disability Superpower}}s. They may pursue this passion either out of a love of it or as a means to [[BecomeARealBoy compensate for their disability]].

* Pied Piper is the music teacher in ''Literature/DCSuperHeroGirls''. Harley didn't even know he was deaf until Katana mentioned it. He can feel music more powerfully than hearing people.

* [[Series/{{House}} Dr. Gregory House]]. As the canonical Wounded Healer, his medical genius bestows a second chance at life to almost all of his patients, while his own prolonged state of misery evidences that he himself is unable to enjoy life.

* Spoofed in ''{{Series/Psych}}''’s ''Series/TwinPeaks'' tribute episode, in which Dual Spires's local photographer reveals that he's secretly blind. Shawn discovers that the man's house is filled with [[RoomFullOfCrazy photographs pinned to every available section of wall]]... and they're all completely out of focus, with awful lighting, framing and composition, depicting nothing in particular, and several are hung upside down. This manages to be humorous, tragic, and creepy all at once.

* On ''Series/ProjectRunway'', season 9 and All Star Season 2 contestant Anthony Ryan Auld is colorblind but was often praised for his color choices.

* In ''WebAnimation/NoEvil'' Xochipilli sacrificed his hearing to seal the black Tezcatlipoca, but it doesn't stop him from using MagicMusic afterwards.

* There are several famous blind sculptors. That actually makes sense if you think about it, because although they can't see their artwork, they can still use their sense of touch to feel it. However, blind Italian sculptor Felice Tagliaferri deserves special mention for his re-creation of a famous 16th-century statue which [[http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/21/uk-italy-blind-idUKTRE71K1YR20110221 he wasn't allowed to touch.]]

* French composer Gabriel Fauré was forced to retire from most of his professional obligations a few years before his death as his hearing loss (and other health problems) became too severe to work through, but he continued to compose; his most notable composition from his final years was his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24pV-0CUCYY String Quartet in E minor,]] and he had to refuse an offer by four musicians to perform it for him while he was on his deathbed, as what little sound he could still hear was horribly distorted.

* Lou Schiemer, one of the presidents of Creator/{{Filmation}}, is colour-blind. This goes far toward explaining the odd colour choices in some of their shows, particularly the infamous pink Kzinti.