I am deaf in one ear and I do make a point of teaching aslan in our choir and helping deaf or hearing impaired students.

Young people feel that they can't sing for a number of reasons, breaking voices in boys make pitching very difficult for them. Also young people feel if they don't 'sound' like their favourite pop star, then they must have a terrible voice. It is important to engage young high students from year 7 in singing, that way they are used to it and have built confidence all the way through school. I use Sol-Fa with year 7's to teach them sight singing (which they learn quickly) and get older boys to sing along with current music.

Reading music is the same as reading books, it is still literacy. I make a priority of teaching reading and writing of music always in my classes.