Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
APP.COM - Music program brings hearing, deaf communities together | Asbury Park Press Online
Rock 'n' roll music performed by and for deaf and hearing-impaired students is a bridge to understanding and a vehicle for fun as well.
"The rock 'n' roll show is amazing. It is something you see, hear and feel. It gave me a better understanding of the differences between American Sign Language and English," said Nicole McManus, a second-year student in Ocean County College's Interpreter Training Program, which presents the rock 'n' roll show.
McManus, of Toms River, also is vice president of the program's Sign Club.
"Our original idea had been to present the show once a year, but the deaf community loved the show so much, which was very humbling, we now present it at least a couple of times a year," said Kathy Basilotto of Ocean County College.
Basilotto, of Brick, is the lead instructor at the college's Interpreter Training Program, which she began five years ago.
"It's been going strong ever since," she said. "It had actually been my vision for a very long time because of my background: I'm one of 10 children, six of my siblings having been born deaf. I've been a signer all my life, and we were raised with music always in the house.
"My hearing siblings and I would interpret the music to our deaf siblings, so this concert is near and dear to my heart."
The concert, presented by the program's Sign Language Society, is an evening of rock 'n' roll with tunes by artists ranging from Tina Turner to Kiss. Basilotto says the deaf and hearing performers, including herself, dress up as the singers they're impersonating; she's appeared as Turner in the past.
"We had our first show on May 8, 2003," Basilotto said. "It followed my vision that we'd do a show for the deaf, in which students and I would sign to different recordings of rock musicians, and dress like the artists singing. "We have a DJ who plays for the hearing audience and for the deaf members — they feel the vibrations, which is really neat," she said.
Beachwood's Maria Kodopidis, treasurer of the Sign Club, said, "I love the idea of doing an ASL rock 'n' roll show. It's such a great way to have fun and show our talents, and more importantly, it's a great way to get the hearing the deaf communities together."
"You should see the faces of the first-timers at our concert," Basilotto said. "They look stunned, but they leave appreciating American Sign Language. The deaf community loves it because normally they have to look to an interpreter off to the side while looking at the play, but this particular fundraiser allows them to look dead-on on the stage and get their information in their own language."
Maureen Little of North Brunswick is among those who have attended the rock 'n' roll shows given by OCC's Interpreter Hearing Program.
"As a hearing person going to the ASL rock shows, I have found the program to be really wonderful because it's getting deaf people and hearing people together," Little said. "It's also giving hearing people the ability to see what ASL is all about, and to see what the deaf culture is about."
There will be a meeting at noon April 21 in the Hiering Science Building's lecture hall at Ocean County College to discuss the sign language program "from soup to nuts. It's a great time for the people who attend to find out about our program," Basilotto said.
Rock 'n' roll music performed by and for deaf and hearing-impaired students is a bridge to understanding and a vehicle for fun as well.
"The rock 'n' roll show is amazing. It is something you see, hear and feel. It gave me a better understanding of the differences between American Sign Language and English," said Nicole McManus, a second-year student in Ocean County College's Interpreter Training Program, which presents the rock 'n' roll show.
McManus, of Toms River, also is vice president of the program's Sign Club.
"Our original idea had been to present the show once a year, but the deaf community loved the show so much, which was very humbling, we now present it at least a couple of times a year," said Kathy Basilotto of Ocean County College.
Basilotto, of Brick, is the lead instructor at the college's Interpreter Training Program, which she began five years ago.
"It's been going strong ever since," she said. "It had actually been my vision for a very long time because of my background: I'm one of 10 children, six of my siblings having been born deaf. I've been a signer all my life, and we were raised with music always in the house.
"My hearing siblings and I would interpret the music to our deaf siblings, so this concert is near and dear to my heart."
The concert, presented by the program's Sign Language Society, is an evening of rock 'n' roll with tunes by artists ranging from Tina Turner to Kiss. Basilotto says the deaf and hearing performers, including herself, dress up as the singers they're impersonating; she's appeared as Turner in the past.
"We had our first show on May 8, 2003," Basilotto said. "It followed my vision that we'd do a show for the deaf, in which students and I would sign to different recordings of rock musicians, and dress like the artists singing. "We have a DJ who plays for the hearing audience and for the deaf members — they feel the vibrations, which is really neat," she said.
Beachwood's Maria Kodopidis, treasurer of the Sign Club, said, "I love the idea of doing an ASL rock 'n' roll show. It's such a great way to have fun and show our talents, and more importantly, it's a great way to get the hearing the deaf communities together."
"You should see the faces of the first-timers at our concert," Basilotto said. "They look stunned, but they leave appreciating American Sign Language. The deaf community loves it because normally they have to look to an interpreter off to the side while looking at the play, but this particular fundraiser allows them to look dead-on on the stage and get their information in their own language."
Maureen Little of North Brunswick is among those who have attended the rock 'n' roll shows given by OCC's Interpreter Hearing Program.
"As a hearing person going to the ASL rock shows, I have found the program to be really wonderful because it's getting deaf people and hearing people together," Little said. "It's also giving hearing people the ability to see what ASL is all about, and to see what the deaf culture is about."
There will be a meeting at noon April 21 in the Hiering Science Building's lecture hall at Ocean County College to discuss the sign language program "from soup to nuts. It's a great time for the people who attend to find out about our program," Basilotto said.