Continued Explorations: ASL & The Music Industry

 

American Sign Language 

-  -  - Inclusion into the Music Industry -  -  -

Have you ever wondered what your world would be like without music? Probably not, because fortunately most of us are hearing abled and listening to music is just part of everyday life. Imagine your life without music for a second... No extra motivation at the gym or while cleaning, no comfort to help get you through a break-up, no distraction to keep you company on a long road trip; and all the other wonderful ways music helps us. I simply could not fathom life without music, and it is certainly something we, yes we, take for granted. So what about our friends who experience complete or partial hearing loss - How do they experience music?

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"Sign Language is a dance with words, to be enjoyed from babyhood through childhood to adulthood."

                                                             -Marilyn Daniels

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A brief history

American Sign Language, commonly known as ASL, was introduced in the early 19th Century but it wasn't until the 1960s when it was recognized as an official language. ASL serves as the language for the deaf and hearing-impaired community and is conducted through hand movements, facial expressions, and body gestures. Now ASL is recognized as the third most commonly used language, and colleges are now accepting it as a foreign language credit. 

The Importance

As a society, it is our responsibility to involve the deaf community, and all groups of people that experience a disability, in a world that sadly does not always serve their needs. Music soothes the soul, and for some, that is felt in different ways. Deaf individuals may not be able to hear music, but through ASL they are able to experience the energy and excitement of music. As we know music has a profound impact on overall health, and it is noted that this includes the deaf and hard of hearing community. Music is felt and processed in the brain similarly to those who are hearing abled by the vibrations that are felt and process in the brain; releasing the same 'feel-good' chemicals.

Musical Elements in Signed Music

What I have found most interesting in this, is that the elements of music in signed music have not been lost! It is incredibly fascinating how the evolution of ASL has been able to better benefit the deaf community as time has gone on - especially when it comes to presenting music in a visual context. 

There are five parameters that one must follow in American Sign Language:

*Handshape

*Palm Orientation

*Location

*Movement

*Nonmanual Markers

The nonmanual markers are crucial in being able to convey instrumental sounds through signed music; they include facial expressions and body movements. When displaying the frequency between high and low pitches, the interpreter will conduct their hand movements at different areas; near their waist for lower sounds such as the drums, and near their shoulders for higher sounds like guitars. The 'wave' of a sound is conveyed through a hand motion riding a wave, as well as the movement of lips saying "WOW" over and over.

 'Thickness' of sound is delivered, too. To better understand, compare the sound of a bass guitar to that of a cymbal; the bass guitar sounds denser. When denser instruments are played, interpreters will puff their cheeks out accordingly, just as they would when talking about something who is obese. How cool is that!

Not only is rhythm and the harmonic texture of signed music depicted, but the lyrics are too. They must be converted from English to ASL, and a great amount of effort if relied on translating, "wordplay, rhyme, and metaphor into a visual form of communication." To fully understand this concept better, check out this video at marker 3:48. 

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Interpreter Spotlight:

Amber Galloway Galleo is a nationally certified sign language interpreter who has signed concerts for over 400 artists - Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele - the list goes on and on. She has her Master's degree in American Sign Language and English Interpreting and has been signing for over 20 years. Amber is highly known in the music interpreting world and she takes her job seriously. She says, "If we merely show the sign for music then we are doing an injustice as an interpreter." 

A video of Amber signing at a Twista concert went viral in 2019; Twista is undoubtedly one of the fastest rappers around. Amber's connection and dedication to her profession has not gone unnoticed. In every video that I watch of her, she is so emersed into her role as an interpreter that I found myself more intrigued with her performance than that of the artist themself. She is extremely expressive and creates an all-around inclusive experience between the music industry and the deaf and hearing-impaired community.

The song featured in the above video, "Gucci Louis Prada" is not much of a song to dance to as it moves quite fast; 142 beats per minute with a time signature of 4/4. The focus is clearly on the lyrics and the art of rapping. "Gucci Louis Prada" can be heard accompanying the entire song and the rhythm and beat of the song remain the same throughout. Amber would not have had to interpret much of the instrumentation in this song, but rather a lot of lyrical interpretation and expression, especially with rap being a high expression genre of music. While I don't find this song appealing, I think Amber did a fantastic job with its delivery and overall vibe.

I used to work with special needs kids and a coworker of mine was fluent in ASL. While meeting for dinner one night, the jukebox kicked on and Cardi B's "Kodak Yellow" started playing. My friend started signing and lip-syncing the entire song - It was so neat and the first time I had never seen someone sign to a song before. Fast forward to this assignment and while doing my research I came across a 'Sign Language Rap battle' between three nationally certified American Sign Language interpreters on the Jimmy Kimmel show. It is super cool; check it out HERE

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What I love the most about this up-and-coming phenomenon and the direction it is headed through advocacy and awareness, is that my son is part of this community. Although he is not fully deaf, nor does he sign, he does have hearing loss in his right ear that requires him to wear a hearing aid. It is unknown whether or not his condition will worsen as he gets older, but it warms my heart knowing that these inclusive measures are being taken to include all. I have a soft spot for all groups of people and this world will benefit from these inclusion strategies; happy and healthy people create happy and healthy communities!

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|Sources|

“American Sign Language.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language. Retrieved 10 April 2021

“ASL Music Interpreters Amp Up Accessibility for the Deaf Community.” RSS, www.ameridisability.com/post/asl-music-interpreters-amp-up-accessibility-for-deaf-community. Retrieved 10 April 2021

Galloway-Gallego, Amber. “Amber Galloway-Gallego.” TED, www.ted.com/speakers/amber_galloway_gallego. Retrieved 10 April 2021

in English Language, Life. “How Ingenious Sign Language Interpreters Are Bringing Music to Life for the Deaf: Visualizing the Sound of Rhythm, Harmony & Melody.” Open Culture, www.openculture.com/2017/04/how-ingenious-sign-language-interpreters-are-bringing-music-to-life-for-the-deaf.html. Retrieved 10 April 2021

“American Sign Language.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language.

“ASL Music Interpreters Amp Up Accessibility for the Deaf Community.” RSS, www.ameridisability.com/post/asl-music-interpreters-amp-up-accessibility-for-deaf-community.

Galloway-Gallego, Amber. “Amber Galloway-Gallego.” TED, www.ted.com/speakers/amber_galloway_gallego.

in English Language, Life. “How Ingenious Sign Language Interpreters Are Bringing Music to Life for the Deaf: Visualizing the Sound of Rhythm, Harmony & Melody.” Open Culture, www.openculture.com/2017/04/how-ingenious-sign-language-interpreters-are-bringing-music-to-life-for-the-deaf.html.