needsleep

Hi everyone! My name is Kristin. I've been reading on this forum for a while now, trying to work up the courage to join up and say hi. Today is the day, it seems. I can't wait to get to know all of you. A little about myself:

I am a Hearing musician. I teach and I am working towards my certification to teach in schools. My main instrument is violin but I also sing and know the basics on several other instruments. I would like to teach the Deaf and HoH but my ASL has a long way to go (but I'm learning quickly!). I'm looking forward to not only teaching music but to learning all about Deaf culture and bettering my signing as well. I've been so fascinated with everything since back when I was a Brownie Girl Scout and they taught me the ABC's in ASL.

I hope you'll accept me now that I've come out of lurking a little. I really can't wait to meet everyone and I hope we can be friends.

Deafness

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rockin'robin

needsleep

Hi rockin'robin!

caz12

hi there

needsleep

Hi caz12. Nice to meet you.

Smithtr

Hello welcome to alldeaf
nice to meet to Kristin

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Bottesini

Hi there. One of my daughters is a professional musician.

Enjoy your stay with us.

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needsleep

Thanks for the welcome, Smithtr.

Bottesini--Poor girl probably has no free time either then. Practice, practice, practice! I swear, I just came home from a full day of work and instead of taking my boots off and letting my poor feet relax, I popped in my earplugs to run a few pieces. x_X

Nice to meet you both!

Bebonang

Welcome!

One thing I am concern about is your enthusiasm in teaching the d/Deaf and HOH (Hard Of Hearing) to be interest in music when they can not hear very well with notes. Beside, it is all noise most of the time when hearing the music with hearing aid or CI. You sound just like the teacher in the movie called "Children of the Lesser God". The first thing you are thinking about is you want so badly for the Deaf people to hear the beautiful and wonderful music which we can not hear. When you mentioned by saying to Bottesini "I popped in my earplugs to run a few pieces". That was what the teacher did when he put the classic music and he feel much better with it while she was not hearing anything at all. She was seen as just smoking her cigarettes in her kitchen. She does not mind not hearing the music because she is used to being in her deaf world. It is the same with me too, even if I have a hearing aid (only one).

It just make me upset when some hearing people try so hard to get us to hear like you and the hearing society. It does not work that way at all. You all hearing people have to accept us as just d/Deaf and HOH. Some would like to hear music, even if they can not hear clearly enough. They can feel the vibration but that is not music.

Right now you are here to learn about our deaf perspective and hard of hearing perspective. So don't jump down our throat, just to get us to hear music. Some who you can ask kindly about it. Don't force them. That is all I want to say.

Enjoy reading and posting here.

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I HAVE BEEN DEAF SINCE BIRTH, AND IT IS STILL AWESOME TO BE . (thumb up) (very happy)

needsleep

Actually, I have to wear the earplugs to hear properly at all. I have above-average hearing and it makes it hard to pick things up in conversations due to other noises, make out notes in music because of bombardment of extra overtones, etc, etc. My audiologist tells me that I'm having the same issues as someone with hearing loss, but from the opposite side. In fact, if it weren't for the earplugs, I would be completely unable to play at all due to the incredible buzzing in my left ear with any slightly loud noise and my complete inability to differentiate between notes.

I don't see this as "helping the poor deaf people hear the music they're so missing out on," at all. I want to be able to teach those who want to learn but are automatically dismissed based on their difficultly or inability to hear the music (or, in my case, hear it properly). I feel that if someone wants to learn, then there is no reason why they can't. Teaching method will have to be a little different in some cases, of course, but I am looking to share with those who want it, not force it down anyone's throats.

I do understand that some hearing idiots may think that way, but I don't. I also realize that many will assume I think this way because of my profession, but I don't.

authentic

welcome!

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needsleep

Looove the picture, authentic! Definitely how I feel right now. I'm a quarter to 1 here. =_=

radioman

I am going to disagree here based on my experiences. I am deaf/hoh. I grew up in school being in band and sports. When I got to college- I was in a college band. I was in 2 sometimes 3 bands. It would be too much for me to be in 3 but I managed to fudge through it. I joined playing music because I wanted to. It might have been hell for me for last 2 years in high school in marching band, but it taught me a few things . When I was playing in college -I traveled all over the northeast to concerts, etc to play and the music director I had just happened to be a guy who was teaching music for the deaf/hoh. The one band he had incorporated hearing and deaf played for alot of the hockey games at RIT until they got a organ player. The one band I was in college was all deaf/HOH and we traveled all over playing for many functions. I never once felt pressured to be like hearing. You just learn how to play and improve your skill and learn how to keep in sync with others.

needsleep

Hi radioman. I'm so glad you had such a great experience!! What do you play? That's awesome!

radioman

Percussion group. of course. The band I was in college with had a severe HOH bass player, hoh painoist, hoh guitar player, hoh sax but is talented enough to play other brass as well). We had other players in various forms of instruments but they came and go while we were the mainstay of group.

needsleep

That's awesome I plan on picking up some percussion in the next school year (taking time off to practice and build my bank account up a little again) I love drums and I'd really like to learn marimba. The lower notes on those are really cool. My boyfriend plays tuba. I can never coordinate my lips enough for long enough to make a good sound on brass (or ANY sound, some days! hahaha)

Bottesini

I learned to play the bass in school as I can hear in the low frequencies and I enjoyed it very much. Good luck with your music teaching career.

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needsleep

Thanks Bottesini. Nice to meet another string player Do you still play?

Bottesini

No, I could hear more when I was a kid. I can not hear enough now to enjoy it. But I do have good memories of playing when I was a student.

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needsleep

I'm glad you enjoyed it while you played.