So what is the deaf boy learning?

Thank you so much for sharing this story. I never thought of balloons as a way for deaf children to be able to feel music. I keep trying to encourage my fellow classmates in my ASL class to visit AD and check it out. While many of them are still struggling with the concepts of a deaf culture, I feel that I am constantly learning and expanding on what I have already learned and experienced. BTW, can anyone explain to me how to sign Happy St. Patrick's Day? I can't seem to find anything on line and I am going to the club St. Patrick's Day Party tonight and would be able to sign it.
 
Music education for deaf

mandi said:
I've seen deaf children being taught at school to enjoy the music no matter what. The deaf children tend to enjoy the music when it is being played loud enough to rock the whole room itself! One day when I was in the room with them, I was so glad to be able to enjoy being part of the dancing group with them. Principal (kinda ignorant person) stopped by to see what ruckus is going on in that room. I explained to her that it is imperative that deaf children of all ages get to know the "feeling" of the music and appreciate its beautiful lyrics that is being played on any type of music! She realized that it is important to introduce deaf children to the music culture and become aware of that at early age that it is ok to feel things through anything like a balloon, paper, table, chair, etc.

It is important for children to be aware of what is going on out in the world.
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Personally, I LOVE ROCK music concerts and the more ROCK, the better! Play those drums, baby!! ;)

The mother of the deaf boy in the topic probably didn't THINK about WHAT she just said! As Homer Simpson says, "DOH!" (Hand smacks forehead.) :roll:

Hearing people often make wrong assumptions out of ignorance. (I'm hearing, studied ASL 1 and 2 in college, and a Deaf Culture class. I've still got to practice, practice. I sign really slowly. :Oops: I don't understand VERY, VERY FAST pure ASL signers very well.)

Most of the older oral deaf adults I practiced signing with used some PSE and some didn't turn their voices off. (In my classes, we had to sign voice off. My community college's ASL video and book series were really hard for me to understand very well. It probably didn't help much that I found out my first time in ASL 1 that I was near-sighted and needed glasses! :giggle: I took the class AGAIN because I wasn't happy with my grade. :hmm:)

I read an article on the Internet about attempts to teach deaf children to play drums and enjoy music in a mainstream school district-I forgot where.

I think if kids like music (feeling the beat) or don't, at least they'd have a chance to decide for themselves.

I also read about a lady (she has a website, but I am terrible with names) who is a professional drummer and she is deaf.

I learned early on that some deaf people like music, but others, a few very ASL Deaf I have met, don't. I once had a deaf roommate who was very ASL and she didn't understand why anyone would like music without words (she couldn't hear it at all).

I had another oral deaf friend who would CRANK up the radio while she drove in the car, and she'd talk and sign at the same time while driving. (I admit it scared me the first time she did that, because I had never driven with a deaf person before. I kept thinking, "Eyes on the road!" because my driving instructor pounded that into my brain. I relaxed when I realized she wasn't going to kill us, and she is a SAFE driver. :) So I've been in the seat of someone who made a wrong assumption based on "hearing" culture rules. I am not saying this to offend anyone. I'm admitting my mistake.) She would drum with her hand in time to the music when we came to a stop. :) She said she couldn't understand the words, but she liked the feel of the beat and she could hear some ranges of the music.

My husband was raised in the US by Filipino parents. He can't speak Tagalog but understands a little. I've had some cultural misunderstandings being a "dumb American" a few times. :)

It takes patience and continued efforts to understand one another's point of view. :)

JM
 
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Since becoming Deaf, I carry a few balloons in my bag. Whenever I come upon music, I inflate one and enjoy the vibration and beat through the balloon. I think you gave that child three wonderful gifts; someone willing to communicate, a fun balloon bear, and the opportunity the enjoy the music through the balloon. Bravo. :angel:
 
JMackay said:
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Personally, I LOVE ROCK music concerts and the more ROCK, the better! Play those drums, baby!! ;)

The mother of the deaf boy in the topic probably didn't THINK about WHAT she just said! As Homer Simpson says, "DOH!" (Hand smacks forehead.) :roll:

Hearing people often make wrong assumptions out of ignorance. (I'm hearing, studied ASL 1 and 2 in college, and a Deaf Culture class. I've still got to practice, practice. I sign really slowly. :Oops: I don't understand VERY, VERY FAST pure ASL signers very well.)

Most of the older oral deaf adults I practiced signing with used some PSE and some didn't turn their voices off. (In my classes, we had to sign voice off. My community college's ASL video and book series were really hard for me to understand very well. It probably didn't help much that I found out my first time in ASL 1 that I was near-sighted and needed glasses! :giggle: I took the class AGAIN because I wasn't happy with my grade. :hmm:)

I read an article on the Internet about attempts to teach deaf children to play drums and enjoy music in a mainstream school district-I forgot where.

I think if kids like music (feeling the beat) or don't, at least they'd have a chance to decide for themselves.

I also read about a lady (she has a website, but I am terrible with names) who is a professional drummer and she is deaf.

I learned early on that some deaf people like music, but others, a few very ASL Deaf I have met, don't. I once had a deaf roommate who was very ASL and she didn't understand why anyone would like music without words (she couldn't hear it at all).

I had another oral deaf friend who would CRANK up the radio while she drove in the car, and she'd talk and sign at the same time while driving. (I admit it scared me the first time she did that, because I had never driven with a deaf person before. I kept thinking, "Eyes on the road!" because my driving instructor pounded that into my brain. I relaxed when I realized she wasn't going to kill us, and she is a SAFE driver. :) So I've been in the seat of someone who made a wrong assumption based on "hearing" culture rules. I am not saying this to offend anyone. I'm admitting my mistake.) She would drum with her hand in time to the music when we came to a stop. :) She said she couldn't understand the words, but she liked the feel of the beat and she could hear some ranges of the music.

My husband was raised in the US by Filipino parents. He can't speak Tagalog but understands a little. I've had some cultural misunderstandings being a "dumb American" a few times. :)

It takes patience and continued efforts to understand one another's point of view. :)

JM
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Yes, JM, that is true that it takes time to understand one another's point of view that is for everyone not just for deap people but everyone in general! Anyway, your husband was raised by Filipino parents? I am part of Flilipino myself! I know there is always cultural misunderstandings not just by being a dumb American, but other people world wide... there are even some misunderstanding in deaf cultural too!

Yes, there are a lot of us who like to CRANK up the radio just to feel the beats, sounds and all throughout the car feeling the vibes going on inside the car! :cool2:
 
Boy, do I ever want to hit myself in the forehead. All of the deaf events that I have been to there have been balloons lying around. Yes, lying around, not hung up where they can't be reached. It all makes sense to me now. I think I am going to ask my professor if I can bring a cd and some balloons to class so my classmates and I can experience music in this way. Does it matter how much bass there is or anything else I should look for in my choice of music? Maybe a couple of different genre's. What do you think?
 
dorothy5664 said:
Boy, do I ever want to hit myself in the forehead. All of the deaf events that I have been to there have been balloons lying around. Yes, lying around, not hung up where they can't be reached. It all makes sense to me now. I think I am going to ask my professor if I can bring a cd and some balloons to class so my classmates and I can experience music in this way. Does it matter how much bass there is or anything else I should look for in my choice of music? Maybe a couple of different genre's. What do you think?
Click to expand...


More bass=greater vibrations, so it is a more dramatic demonstration, but I am able to enjoy a wide variety of music with balloons, including classical, rock, and jazz. The greater the surface tension of the balloon, the more you'll feel so blow them up till they're firm. Have fun!
 
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