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Outlook: Speaking through music: Me and my non-verbal sister

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Childhood photo of Ian and Jane

01/12/2020 GMT

Speaking through music: Me and my non-verbal sister

BBC World Service - Outlook, Speaking through music: Me and my non-verbal sister

Ian Brennan’s sister, who has Down's syndrome, taught him to communicate through music

Growing up with his sister Jane, who has Down’s syndrome, music producer Ian Brennan learned how to communicate through music. Now they've made an album together.

Jane is Ian Brennan’s older sister. She has Down’s syndrome and is largely non-verbal but the two of them have communicated through music their whole lives. Ian has shared that knowledge with communities around the world, travelling the globe looking for music in unexpected places. He’s worked with Tuareg musicians in the Sahara desert, people who are homeless in California and prisoners in Malawi – often making records with people who have never even touched an instrument before. But he came home to the US earlier this year to make his most personal album yet – with his sister and her community. Their album is titled 'Who You Calling Slow?' by The Sheltered Workshop Singers.

Nims Purja was a member of the Gurkhas, the elite force of Nepalese soliders in the British Army. Their motto is 'better to die than be a coward' and in 2019 Nims set himself a fearless task - climbing all 14 of the world's 'death zone' mountains in record time. Part of his motivation was his mother, who was seriously ill.

Picture: Ian and Jane Brennan as children
Credit: Courtesy of Ian Brennan

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