Culture
Watch How Sign Language Communicators Bring Music To The Deaf
Amber Galloway Gallego explains how she translates silence into sound.
Since 1990, concerts and music venues in the United States have been required to provide American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for hearing-impaired audience members. That means that big artists like Coldplay, Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg and Destiny’s Child have their most iconic musical moments translated into visual accompaniment at any large-scale show.
Typically, translators have spelled out the lyrics of songs and made the hand sign for “music” whenever an instrumental interlude occurs. But as the video below shows, an increasing number of translators are adapting ASL into a much more expressive vocabulary, translating beats, guitar riffs and complex hip-hop lyrics into Sign for a much richer musical experience. Watch Amber Galloway Gallego—who’s interpreted for over 400 artists, including Adele and Drake—explain how it works.
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube’s privacy policy.
Learn more
Read more: 3D-printed synth modules are helping the hearing impaired experience sound
(via Vox)
Image via Mental Floss
