Singing through darkness: How I use music to empower the visually impaired and honour my Turkish roots

My name is Hazal Yavuz. I am 21 years old and a student at the Royal National College for the Blind (RNC), in Hereford. I am totally blind; my visual impairment is called Retinal Dysplasia. I am currently studying the Level 2 Diploma in the Creative Music Industry which is a field I would like to work in.


Music makes me feel calm and relaxed and when I am in my musical world it melts my troubles away, I can play music on my phone and sing for hours without looking at the time. Listening to music is terrific for wellbeing, health and helps me to cope with challenges. I write my own music, and my songs come from a personal place, and they are about identity, hope and determination.

I am a member of an all-women’s Turkish choir which supports all women, and we sing traditional Turkish music. I celebrate International Women’s Day with my choir by performing in a concert every year. It’s a large choir with 50 or more women; the age ranges are from 20 onwards.

Music opens opportunities for me and connects me with others through apps like Instagram and YouTube, also my choir connects me to musicians I listen to.

My hopes and dreams are to be a wonderful singer and song writer, a music producer and a flutist. I have currently written a song called “Spring” and that has some Turkish influence. The story behind my song is describing what happens in the season and the changes that take place in the natural world.

I hope my story encourages others to embrace who they are, follow their passions and use their voices no matter what challenges they face as we all have something valuable to share.

Hazal Yavuz, May 2025