Location: Melbourne, VIC
Challenge: Quadriplegic
Website: johnkoumourou.bandcamp.com
John Koumourou is Melbourne-born who won't let his disability be a roadblock to anything he wants to do. His love for music has driven him to try different instruments to find one ‘that fits' his ability. With his limited finger movement he had to be creative on how to get around the challenge of playing.
John had a diving accident when he was 19 that left him a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. In his 20's he wanted to play an instrument but with very limited finger movement and the love for jazz and blues the obvious answer to him was the trombone.
Over the course of the following years he progressed to play in local council brass bands, church bands, and some 'home grown bands'.
He got involved in a work band back in 1994 which fitted the style he loved, (a very rouugh video production can be seen here) played with The Predicaments for a few years, playing at venues like the St Kilda National Theatre 'foyer' & The Tower Hotel at Alphington.
He stopped playing in his early 30's with other life endeavours absorbing his time like family, sport and work. Married to Robyn who plays piano, sings and composes, 2 daughters who have also taken on instruments, music is never far from the family environment.
Now in his 'very' early 50's, over the last several years the passion to get back into music has grown and with the love for the flugelhorn and with his limitions, he had to be creative on how to use his hands to play. With playing only 2 valves on the flugelhorn and by using alternative note/finger positions he got around the roadblock of playing.
John Koumourou - "Industrial Wilderness"