How sign language can bring music to life
Summary
TLDRThis video script narrates the journey of a sign language interpreter specializing in music, emphasizing the sensory and emotional experiences of deaf individuals with music. It explores the importance of music in the speaker's life, the challenges faced by the deaf community in accessing communication and cultural experiences, and the need for societal understanding and inclusion. The speaker passionately advocates for the deaf community's right to full access in all aspects of life, including entertainment and emergency broadcasts, and the significance of early sign language acquisition for both deaf and hearing babies.
Takeaways
- 🎵 The speaker is a sign language interpreter who specializes in music interpreting, a job that often surprises people who assume deaf individuals cannot experience music.
- 🧠 Studies have shown that deaf people can feel and interact with music, which engages the auditory cortex and stimulates a chemical reaction in the brain, similar to hearing people.
- 💕 Music holds a deep personal significance for the speaker, evoking memories of family and friends and providing a sense of connection and belonging.
- 🌐 The speaker experienced a shift in perspective after becoming deaf at the age of 20, gaining a new understanding of the Deaf community and culture.
- 🚫 The speaker challenges the assumption that deaf people do not enjoy or have a connection to music, emphasizing that music is a universal human experience.
- 🤝 The speaker's work involves collaborating with the deaf community to make music visual through sign language, aiming to provide a more authentic musical experience for deaf audiences.
- 🤔 The speaker highlights the ongoing struggle for deaf and hard of hearing individuals to secure proper access to communication in various aspects of life, including entertainment and emergency situations.
- 🙅♂️ The speaker criticizes the lack of understanding and empathy from hearing individuals who make decisions about access for the deaf community without proper knowledge or connection.
- 👶 The speaker points out the early challenges faced by deaf children, including the pressure to conform to hearing society's norms and the lack of early sign language exposure.
- 🌟 The speaker envisions a future where the deaf community is not silenced and has equal access to opportunities, including employment and social inclusion.
- 🗣️ The speaker encourages openness to understanding and accommodating the diverse communication needs of the deaf and hard of hearing, advocating for a more inclusive society.
Q & A
What is the speaker's profession?
-The speaker is a sign language interpreter who specializes in music interpreting.
Why do people often question the speaker's profession?
-People question the speaker's profession because they wonder why deaf people would have an interest in music if they can't hear it.
What have studies found about deaf people's experience with music?
-Studies have found that when deaf people feel music, it interacts with the auditory cortex and can lead to a chemical reaction that raises dopamine and lowers cortisol in both hearing and deaf individuals.
How does music play a significant role in the speaker's life?
-Music is significant to the speaker as it connects them to important people in their life and important experiences, acting as a form of emotional and cultural connection.
What was the speaker's experience with homelessness?
-The speaker became homeless after being kicked out, having to quit school, and turning to drugs and gang associations due to feeling rejected at home.
How did the speaker's perspective on music change after becoming hearing at the age of 20?
-The speaker's perspective changed as they gained a new label and were welcomed into the Deaf world, leading them to see music as an essential part of the Deaf community's culture and language.
What motivated the speaker to study ASL and work with the deaf community?
-The speaker was motivated by their own experiences with hearing loss and a desire to fight for access and understanding, as well as their connection to deaf individuals throughout their life.
Why is the speaker passionate about making music visual for the deaf community?
-The speaker is passionate about making music visual because they believe that music is an experience that should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to hear.
What challenges do deaf and hard of hearing people face in accessing communication?
-Deaf and hard of hearing people face challenges such as fighting for their basic right to communication in various aspects of life, including medical appointments, counseling sessions, and educational settings.
What was the issue with the emergency broadcast from the Florida news station before Hurricane Irma?
-The issue was that an unqualified signer was chosen to communicate life-saving information, resulting in the signing of incomprehensible information and silencing the deaf community's voice.
What is the speaker's vision for a more inclusive world?
-The speaker envisions a limitless world where the deaf community is not unemployed due to their hearing loss, where everyone feels welcome, and where people recognize that everyone is born with different abilities, not disabilities.
Outlines
🎵 The Power of Music in Deaf Interpretation
The speaker introduces themselves as a sign language interpreter specializing in music, a field that often surprises people who assume deaf individuals cannot experience music. Studies show that deaf people can indeed feel and engage with music, which stimulates the auditory cortex and triggers a chemical reaction that raises dopamine and lowers cortisol. Music holds personal significance for the speaker, evoking memories of family and pivotal life experiences. The speaker's journey includes a period of homelessness and rebellion, but music remained a constant refuge. Becoming hearing at 20 introduced them to the Deaf world, where they embraced a new cultural identity and the challenges of access and representation.
👥 The Struggle for Access in the Deaf Community
The speaker discusses the misconception that deaf people do not appreciate music, arguing that music is universal and does not discriminate. They recount their realization that hearing people cannot define access for those with hearing loss, and the importance of deaf and hard of hearing individuals advocating for their own communication rights. The speaker shares their efforts to make music visual through American Sign Language, inspired by a deaf dance troupe that brought music to life. They emphasize the need for qualified interpreters in critical situations, such as emergency broadcasts, where miscommunication can have severe consequences.
🚫 Overcoming Barriers and Fighting for Inclusion
The speaker addresses the systemic barriers faced by the deaf community, including discrimination and the struggle for basic communication rights in various settings, from medical appointments to entertainment events. They highlight the importance of early sign language acquisition for both hearing and deaf babies, countering the common advice for deaf parents to opt for cochlear implants and spoken language. The speaker calls for a more inclusive society that recognizes and values the diversity of communication methods, urging for a world where the deaf community is not marginalized but rather embraced and included.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sign Language Interpreter
💡Auditory Cortex
💡Dopamine
💡Cortisol
💡Cultural and Linguistic Minority
💡Hearing Loss
💡Music Interpretation
💡Deaf Community
💡Access
💡Interpreter
💡Communication Barriers
Highlights
The speaker is a sign language interpreter specializing in music interpreting, which often surprises people who assume deaf people can't experience music.
Studies show that deaf people can feel music and it engages the auditory cortex, leading to a chemical reaction that raises dopamine and lowers cortisol.
Music is deeply personal and connected to important life experiences and people for the speaker, such as memories of family and friends.
The speaker's life was significantly influenced by music and the cultural diversity they were exposed to, despite facing discrimination and hardships.
Becoming hearing at the age of 20 gave the speaker a new perspective and label within the Deaf community, leading to a deeper understanding of their purpose.
The speaker's passion for music led them to advocate for better access to music for the deaf and hard of hearing, challenging the misconception that they don't enjoy music.
The importance of accurate and qualified sign language interpreters, especially in critical situations like emergency broadcasts, is emphasized.
The speaker's journey in learning American Sign Language and incorporating it into music interpretation to make it visually accessible.
The struggle for deaf and hard of hearing individuals to fight for their basic right to communication in various aspects of life.
The speaker's experience with the challenges of accessing entertainment events as a member of the deaf community.
The early exposure to sign language is beneficial for both deaf and hearing babies, contrary to common misconceptions.
The speaker's vision for a world where the deaf community is not limited by unemployment due to hearing loss and where everyone feels welcome.
The need for society to be more open to different forms of communication and to respect the diversity within the deaf and hard of hearing community.
The speaker's personal story of overcoming adversity and using music as a refuge, highlighting the universal power of music.
The importance of recognizing and respecting the individuality and preferences within the deaf community, including different signing accents and communication methods.
A call to action for society to create a limitless world where communication barriers are broken down and everyone's voice is heard.
Transcripts
[Music]
when people ask me what I do I tell them
I'm a sign language interpreter that
specializes in music interpreting this
is usually met with blank stares and the
question but why deaf people can't hear
music or can they there have been
multiple studies involving deaf people's
experience with music and those studies
have found that when deaf people feel
the music it interacts with the auditory
cortex and all people other studies have
found that with all people hearing or
deaf that there's a chemical reaction
that occurs see what happens is once the
auditory cortex is engaged it then
engages with other parts of the brain to
raise dopamine and lower cortisol how
freaking cool is that your brain on
music kids music is also really
important to me because it connects me
to the most important people in my life
as well as important experiences Johnny
Cash comes on and I think about my
grandpa the Jed's are played and I think
about my aunt and my grandma driving me
to the coast on our summer vacations
Depeche Mode comes on and it's my
brother forcing me to listen to new wave
then that moment at age 11 when I saw
her her voice still resonates with me
today she embodied power and
independence that would forever inspire
me this cassette tape yes that dates me
was titled all held the queen latifah
that is
I came from a broken home with a
revolving door of stepfathers so I
escaped as much as I could to my friends
homes my friends became my family and
during that time it was the most
formative part of my life I learned
about African American and Latino
cultures and I learned to love and
respect them and in the same time they
loved and respected me but in my own
home those same friends were rejected
simply because they had a different
color skin so that meant I was rejected
too I started using drugs I rebelled I
started hanging out with gang members
eventually I got kicked out I had to
quit school and I ended up being
homeless but music has always been my
refuge and I can't imagine a life
without music and I'm passionate about
bringing that experience to everyone at
the age of 20 I became hearing it wasn't
that I was previously deaf this was the
first time that I had total immersion
into the Deaf world and I gained my new
label so those of you who are hearing
would be labeled a hearing person and
those of you that have hearing loss
would be called either deaf or hard of
hearing depending on the cultural and
linguistic ramifications I was welcomed
into this amazing world introduced to
incredible people language and culture
since I was a child there were deaf
people coming in and out of my life
in hindsight I now see that my purpose
was revealing itself I lived and
breathed as a visitor in this cultural
and linguistic minority until about of
spinal meningitis sent me on my path to
hearing loss then that shifted my
perspective as well as my fight for
access and my own label changes even
though I didn't always want to accept it
I remember seeing music for the first
time
two interpreters were interpreting a
concert it looked a lot like a City
Council meeting
you know how fun those are it looked a
lot about like this
[Music]
and I thought what was bad this is the
sign for music but that wasn't music I
didn't see music off of their hands by
this time I was married and I felt my
deaf spouse and my deaf friends weren't
experiencing everything that I was and
they were being cheated from this see
artists take each melody and each
harmony and then they merge it with the
lyrics because music is so much more
than lyrics but then I saw it a deaf
dance troupe called the wild zappers
they brought life into music every hair
on the back of my hair stood up when
they performed with the San Antonio deaf
dance company and I said this this is
what music should look like so it's
interesting when hearing people tell me
all the time that deaf people don't like
music and that they have nothing to do
with music I adamantly disagree and I
tell them music is for all humanity and
it doesn't discriminate I soon realized
that it was hearing people making these
blanket statements about deaf people and
I thought how can a hearing person
decide what truly constitutes access for
a person with hearing loss and the
answer is you can't so deaf and hard of
hearing people have to fight for their
basic right to communication in every
aspect of their life how many of you in
this room can raise your hand and say
that you have fought for your basic
right to communication in doing my part
I have studied ASL extensively American
Sign Language as well as I've elicited
help from deaf community members to take
this 200 year old language and take
parts of it to make music visual so now
I'm going to show you when I choose to
show all of the different instruments
when madam Gandhi create
her song the future is female
[Music]
so which would you want the City Council
meeting or this one just because you
want it doesn't necessarily mean you're
going to get it see deaf people fight
for access in very personal places in
their lives doctors offices counseling
sessions parent-teacher meetings they
also ask for very specific interpreters
by name because they live and breathe in
their own community and they know and
trust specific interpreters but sadly
that decision typically falls on a
hearing person who has absolutely no
connection to the deaf world we saw this
happen in the emergency broadcast from
the Florida news station right before
hurricane Emma hit see they picked an
unqualified signer I won't even say
interpreter and they signed instead of
life-saving information they signed
things like pizza bear monster and other
incomprehensible information so the deaf
person's voice was silenced in this
decision even when it comes to
life-and-death situations I fight really
hard in the entertainment world because
that's where we get to break away from
the doldrums and all of the struggles
and trials and tribulations of our life
to enter a world of entertainment so if
you were to buy a ticket to go to a
concert right you would just go but if
you had to call the venue and several
weeks you keep calling and calling and
you're trying to get a hold of someone
just to ask for access and finally you
get a hold of someone for access and
then they tell you I'm sorry you have
the wrong person
let me give you another person and then
you wait weeks and weeks to hear from
that person finally you get a hold of
that person that person says I'm sorry
we don't do this or don't you have a kid
that can sign it for you or I'm sorry
you should have contacted us weeks ago
would you still be motivated to purchase
the ticket as a member of the cultural
and linguistic minority I have seen the
trials and tribulations of
discrimination as a mother as a wife as
a sister as a friend and as an
interpreter see this discrimination
starts early on and in unintentional
ways did you know that 90% of deaf
people are born to hearing parents and
this is what's really shocking 15 that's
one five percent of hearing parents and
typically it's the mom communicate and
sign language to them but instead we
tell these deaf children and deaf people
to conform to our hearing society
because it's the hearing world that's
deemed to be normal yet there's tons of
sign language curriculum teaching you're
hearing babies sign language but
research has shown that deaf babies and
hearing babies both will benefit from
early sign language acquisition but when
it comes to deaf babies parents are told
to opt for cochlear implants and to
speak only even though research shows
that early sign language input can
compensate for the lack of auditory
input so the hard-of-hearing like myself
and deaf people have different signing
accents much like spoken ones some of us
talk with our voice some of us do not
some of us use sign language some of us
do not none of them are better than the
other just has no spoken language is
better than another
yet those with hearing losses face way
many more barriers to communication my
access to communication may look very
different than your access to
communication so please be willing to
ask us hear us I want to see a limitless
world where 70% of our deaf community is
no longer unemployed because of their
hearing loss I want to see where we
create spaces for everyone to feel
welcome I would love to see us realize
that everyone is born with it with all
different kinds of disabilities and not
disabilities so now that you know this
would you what to be silenced
[Applause]
[Music]
関連動画をさらに表示
What It's Like To Be Deaf | AJ+
Protecting and Interpreting Deaf Culture | Glenna Cooper | TEDxTulsaCC
Making Education Accessible to Deaf Children | Nyle DiMarco | TEDxKlagenfurt
Southern Cross Deaf Rugby Union
The hidden history of “Hand Talk”
Through Your Child's Eyes: American Sign Language [Subtitled]
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)