Can People Who Were Born Deaf Appreciate Music?

howag said:
May I ask how you appreciate music? With or without the use of your hearing aids.
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Sure. I am not really a big music lover. I did learn to play the bass in childhood.

And I actually do enjoy the vibrations of tympani. Live. The vibrations are very powerful, and even if I didn't have my feet on the floor, I can feel them on my skin.

I can also feel vibration of my dog barking as it bounces off a glass window.

Plus my daughter is a musician in the symphony. If a concert is bass related, she will get me in and seated in the front row. The big wave of sound is quite fun.
 
DeafBadger said:
Many deaf people can appreciate more than vibrations. Some have some hearing so they can hear changes in tone and pitch.

I listen to a lot of music. I really enjoy it. I don't distinctively hear the lyrics or singing, so I don't know what is being sung, unless I read the lyrics somewhere and match them up to the song somehow.

Sometimes I put my hands on the speakers to try to get more from the music.

I've played an electric guitar, but I need an electronic tuner to know if the guitar is in tune. Sometimes, i can tell that the guitar doesn't sound "right" if it isn't in tune, but I can't put it into tune by ear.

When I was growing up, I played my dad's acoustic guitar. I'd strum it while putting my chin on the hollow body. I'd feel the vibrations going thru my chin to the rest of my head. Got a headache after a while. lol

I've thought about playing drums or bass guitar. I'd like to play in a band, but realistically, I don't think I'd hear well enough. Maybe I should try for membership in a deaf band, like Beethoven's Nightmare. :D

A lot of us listen to music. Check out this thread. http://www.alldeaf.com/deaf-musicians/62256-what-song-you-listening.html
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Oh I see but you are able to enjoy the tune or melody of a song? I hope you do man, post a video if you ever record yourself playing in a band :) and thanks for the thread link!
 
Yes they can. I was born deaf and I do appreciate music with lots of good beats.
 
Bottesini said:
Sure. I am not really a big music lover. I did learn to play the bass in childhood.

And I actually do enjoy the vibrations of tympani. Live. The vibrations are very powerful, and even if I didn't have my feet on the floor, I can feel them on my skin.

I can also feel vibration of my dog barking as it bounces off a glass window.

Plus my daughter is a musician in the symphony. If a concert is bass related, she will get me in and seated in the front row. The big wave of sound is quite fun.
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Woah, you sound like you have very heightened senses :) I have to say that does sound fun, front row during a bass related concert? Get ready to feel something!
 
DeafCaroline said:
not really. wood is a very good conductor of sound - you can pick up more vibrations than just the bass. Beethoven held a piece of wood between his teeth and would touch the piano with it to pick up the vibrations of the keys as he composed.

One musician I know said that because of a discussion he had with me about vibrations and wood, he invited a group of deaf children to sit on the wooden stage as his band played. They loved it.
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Wow!...
 
howag said:
I think I'll have a hard time doing that simply because I can hear, I'll be distracted by the sound unlike deaf people who only have the vibration to go on if that makes sense?
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It might be hard, but it is possible to concentrate on how your body is perceiving the sound even with hearing. You just have to really focus on the kinesthetic response you feel in your body. For instance, certain instruments will create a reaction in different parts of the body. Strings (violins) for instance, will be felt as a higher vibration at about chest level. A bass will be felt as a vibration low in the stomach area. High pitches like a flute will be felt in the head.

Different rhythms affect different areas of the body, as well.
 
DeafCaroline said:
not really. wood is a very good conductor of sound - you can pick up more vibrations than just the bass. Beethoven held a piece of wood between his teeth and would touch the piano with it to pick up the vibrations of the keys as he composed.

One musician I know said that because of a discussion he had with me about vibrations and wood, he invited a group of deaf children to sit on the wooden stage as his band played. They loved it.
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An air filled balloon is a great conductor as well.
 
Frisky Feline said:
yes. however, how about the fresh thread. :D
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Nothing wrong with that.;) But people like defmusicman haven't posted in awhile. Since he is a deaf musician, his older posts would need to be looked up, but they provide a lot of information on the topic. He even has some videos of gigs he has played posted here.
 
You can always tell when you are near the deaf club here on Friday nights. You can hear the music from a block away and it's not just the bass and not the same kind of music all the time. When you enter the club, if they know you are a hearie, they offer you earplugs - they have a stash of them behind the bar haha. Is there any wonder I've always enjoyed my time there :).
 
Journey said:
You can always tell when you are near the deaf club here on Friday nights. You can hear the music from a block away and it's not just the bass and not the same kind of music all the time. When you enter the club, if they know you are a hearie, they offer you earplugs - they have a stash of them behind the bar haha. Is there any wonder I've always enjoyed my time there :).
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Haha that's great, i suppose the good thing about a deaf club is even with loud music, you can still communicate quite efficiently :)
 
I was born with a bilateral profound deafness of 110 to 120 dB. No implants and I can identify what kind of music is playing like, classical, jazz, hip-hop, rock and roll, pop rock, heavy metal, punk music, and children's music on my own. No training was involved.

I guess that can answer your question..yes, someone like me can appreciate music.
 
Yes, I have a friend who is deaf and really likes salsa. Deaf people can feel the vibration and dance to it. Although, it hurt my ears when she turned the car stereo up to full volume, but such is the price you pay for friendship.

It's a good question.
 
I think such thing as absolute, total deafness is rare.
there is always some degree to which a deaf person can hear.


You can either wear a HAs or amplify the sound.
So something can be heard, enough to make out a rhythm,
perhaps certain instruments, and certain frequencies.

I am severe to profound hearing loss, but with HAs I not only hear and enjoy music but I can tell when someone is singing or not
and can recognize/distinguish the styles and songs/instrumental I know.


Fuzzy
 
Even people absolute total deaf (me!!) appreciate music.
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Can you tell how do you enjoy music? I only simply hear thru my HAs,
so I would be very interested to find out how do you do it :)

Fuzzy
 
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