08 February 2012

Signing Out Loud: Music in the Deaf Community

If you've seen "Mr. Holland's Opus" you might have a few (slightly weird, romanticized) Hollywood notions regarding deaf people and music. Regardless of what the saccharine 90s flick may've taught you, it is true that deaf people can and do enjoy music in a variety of ways, from learning the lyrics and feeling vibrations, to using any residual hearing to follow the melody.  Recently, technological advancements like affordable video equipment, webcams and YouTube have caused an explosion of ASL interpretations of popular music within the Deaf community.  Additionally, Deaf musician Sean Forbes started the Deaf Professional Arts Network (D-PAN) to promote accessibility in the music and arts industries. Check out D-PAN and Michigan School for the Deaf's latest music video, an ASL version of the White Stripes' "We're Going to Be Friends": 

Click here to visit D-PAN's website and see more ASL music videos.

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