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WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Deaf students mastering music
Whether you play music or simply listen to it, music is a big part of many people's lives. But what if you can't hear it?
That's the story of two girls at one Savannah school. They're deaf, but with the help of modern technology, these girls are not only listening to the sounds of music, but mastering it.
It's just another ordinary music class at Largo-Tibet Elementary. But in this ordinary class, 12-year-old best friends Miannah Williams and Kiara Jordan are taking on an extraordinary task with their clarinets, playing the sounds of music without really hearing the sound.
"We know it's for hearing and we understand that, but since we have the notes, we can see the notes and it's different and we thought we wanted to try and learn and really wanted to join band," said Kiara. "And it was so interesting. We've seen people on TV playing and we wanted to try it."
They've been trying it and attempting to master it since the beginning of the school year, which amazed band director Chris Miller.
"When I was doing my recruitment, going around to the different classes, it ended up that there were these two girls and there were these other two ladies with them that come to tell me that these were two of the students in the deaf program," said Miller.
"We got the paper and we were interested in learning and we talked and were like, 'do you want to play?' And I was like 'yeah, we can do it,'" said Kiara.
Miannah and Kiara have cochlear implants which means they can only hear just a little bit, but they actually have about 20 to 30 songs under their belts.
But while these girls are learning music, others around them are learning so much more.
Their interpreters Vanessa Toliver and Barbara Kartman have picked up clarinets for the first time as well, learning right along with their students.
"I learned rhythm, I've learned beats, I've learned how to count," said Miannah.
But other than the sounds of music, Miannah and Kiara's instructors have all picked up a lesson on life.
"It just proves that if the mind and the spirit are there, that you can overcome anything to succeed," said Miller.
Jerry Portman, president of Portman's Music Superstore, donated the clarinets for the girls to play.
Whether you play music or simply listen to it, music is a big part of many people's lives. But what if you can't hear it?
That's the story of two girls at one Savannah school. They're deaf, but with the help of modern technology, these girls are not only listening to the sounds of music, but mastering it.
It's just another ordinary music class at Largo-Tibet Elementary. But in this ordinary class, 12-year-old best friends Miannah Williams and Kiara Jordan are taking on an extraordinary task with their clarinets, playing the sounds of music without really hearing the sound.
"We know it's for hearing and we understand that, but since we have the notes, we can see the notes and it's different and we thought we wanted to try and learn and really wanted to join band," said Kiara. "And it was so interesting. We've seen people on TV playing and we wanted to try it."
They've been trying it and attempting to master it since the beginning of the school year, which amazed band director Chris Miller.
"When I was doing my recruitment, going around to the different classes, it ended up that there were these two girls and there were these other two ladies with them that come to tell me that these were two of the students in the deaf program," said Miller.
"We got the paper and we were interested in learning and we talked and were like, 'do you want to play?' And I was like 'yeah, we can do it,'" said Kiara.
Miannah and Kiara have cochlear implants which means they can only hear just a little bit, but they actually have about 20 to 30 songs under their belts.
But while these girls are learning music, others around them are learning so much more.
Their interpreters Vanessa Toliver and Barbara Kartman have picked up clarinets for the first time as well, learning right along with their students.
"I learned rhythm, I've learned beats, I've learned how to count," said Miannah.
But other than the sounds of music, Miannah and Kiara's instructors have all picked up a lesson on life.
"It just proves that if the mind and the spirit are there, that you can overcome anything to succeed," said Miller.
Jerry Portman, president of Portman's Music Superstore, donated the clarinets for the girls to play.