Every person in the film that portrayed a deaf person is deaf in real life.
Composer Michael Kamen was so inspired by the story told in this film that he started a non-profit organization dedicated to providing musical instruments to underprivileged students, callled the Nordoff-Robbins trust.
Julian Lennon, the son of The Beatles John Lennon, whose music is featured prominently in the film, sings the film's main theme, "Cole's Song" on the soundtrack.
The scene where Cole is sitting on the speaker while playing records, he and his father have an exchange in sign language. Cole signed "show me more" and Mr. Holland signs back "I would love to show you more."
David Clegg, the actor who portrayed the school board superintendent, was in real life a school teacher. His first love was acting but turned to teaching to provide for his family and ultimately made a career out of it. A real life Mr. Holland.
Forest Whitaker: As the elder Bobby Tidd in 1995. Whitaker's younger brother, played the younger Bobby Tidd, a student in Mr. Holland's Music Appreciation class in the early 1970s.