Miss-Delectable
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Rapper sings in sign - Rodney Times news on Stuff.co.nz
There are a few things 24-year-old sign language rapper Terry Richards would like to complete before he loses his sight completely.
The Orewa-based 'Silent Rapper', Terry, is deafblind ? a condition in its own right where a person has vision and hearing impairments.
None of that has stood in the way of the talented young man who performs 'sign singing rap', using the vibrations and beat of the music to penetrate his deafness.
Terry's need to have the music loud fits well with the style of music many his age favour.
"It's even better than krumping," he says. "If performers knew sign language, they would definitely use it," Terry says. "It's krumping with meaning - signing is a language on its own and something like this can raise deaf awareness in an enjoyable way."
Krumping is an energetic dance originating in urban America and performed to rap or hip hop music.
Terry was born deaf. He had learned sign language by the time he was five and used that skill to learn to talk properly at the age of seven. Terry attended a mainstream school, learning by lipreading until he was 16.
"I was chronically shy and no-one else in the school was deaf so I was alone most of time," he says.
Then followed a couple of years at the Kelston Deaf Education Centre which specialises in helping deaf students develop some qualifications.
"I applied for carpentry," says Terry. "But my vision was slowly going and from the time I was 19 onward it just kept getting worse."
Terry was diagnosed with type one usher syndrome, and began long periods of depression as he fought to come to grips with his condition.
Most people with usher syndrome develop retinitis pigmentosa, which reduces the peripheral fields of vision.
He also has keratoconus, a byproduct of the condition. Keratoconus produces abnormal shaped corneas, creating limited central vision.
Terry's music has saved him.
"It's my lifesaver - the last thing I have. I've got nothing else," says Terry.
"I'd been in to rap music since I was 14 and at first tried rapping vocally. But that didn't work well," he says.
Then began long sessions translating rap lyrics into sign language - no easy task says Terry, as much of rap language is not found in any dictionary, let alone his sign language dictionary.
"I just used common sense and joined a few things together," he says.
More long sessions in front of a mirror practising sign singing with the stereo blasting produced a repertoire of 50 songs.
"It took a lot of time and practice but it was my inspiration and a great anti-depressant," he says.
Terry is inspirational to people who watch him translate his love of rap, heavy metal and rock in signing songs from his favourite performers such as Limp Bizkit, Sublime, Korn, Linkin Park, 50 Cent and Akon.
Terry manages at the moment by wearing contacts.
When he does not wear the contacts he has trouble with lip reading and recognising people.
Ophthalmologists can not say definitely whether his vision impairments will deteriorate more, leaving him totally blind.
# Deaf Awareness Week is from September 24 to 30 and Blind Awareness Week is from October 23 to 29.
There are a few things 24-year-old sign language rapper Terry Richards would like to complete before he loses his sight completely.
The Orewa-based 'Silent Rapper', Terry, is deafblind ? a condition in its own right where a person has vision and hearing impairments.
None of that has stood in the way of the talented young man who performs 'sign singing rap', using the vibrations and beat of the music to penetrate his deafness.
Terry's need to have the music loud fits well with the style of music many his age favour.
"It's even better than krumping," he says. "If performers knew sign language, they would definitely use it," Terry says. "It's krumping with meaning - signing is a language on its own and something like this can raise deaf awareness in an enjoyable way."
Krumping is an energetic dance originating in urban America and performed to rap or hip hop music.
Terry was born deaf. He had learned sign language by the time he was five and used that skill to learn to talk properly at the age of seven. Terry attended a mainstream school, learning by lipreading until he was 16.
"I was chronically shy and no-one else in the school was deaf so I was alone most of time," he says.
Then followed a couple of years at the Kelston Deaf Education Centre which specialises in helping deaf students develop some qualifications.
"I applied for carpentry," says Terry. "But my vision was slowly going and from the time I was 19 onward it just kept getting worse."
Terry was diagnosed with type one usher syndrome, and began long periods of depression as he fought to come to grips with his condition.
Most people with usher syndrome develop retinitis pigmentosa, which reduces the peripheral fields of vision.
He also has keratoconus, a byproduct of the condition. Keratoconus produces abnormal shaped corneas, creating limited central vision.
Terry's music has saved him.
"It's my lifesaver - the last thing I have. I've got nothing else," says Terry.
"I'd been in to rap music since I was 14 and at first tried rapping vocally. But that didn't work well," he says.
Then began long sessions translating rap lyrics into sign language - no easy task says Terry, as much of rap language is not found in any dictionary, let alone his sign language dictionary.
"I just used common sense and joined a few things together," he says.
More long sessions in front of a mirror practising sign singing with the stereo blasting produced a repertoire of 50 songs.
"It took a lot of time and practice but it was my inspiration and a great anti-depressant," he says.
Terry is inspirational to people who watch him translate his love of rap, heavy metal and rock in signing songs from his favourite performers such as Limp Bizkit, Sublime, Korn, Linkin Park, 50 Cent and Akon.
Terry manages at the moment by wearing contacts.
When he does not wear the contacts he has trouble with lip reading and recognising people.
Ophthalmologists can not say definitely whether his vision impairments will deteriorate more, leaving him totally blind.
# Deaf Awareness Week is from September 24 to 30 and Blind Awareness Week is from October 23 to 29.
Kewl, TFS Ms Miss-Delectable. 