A Deaf music video? Worthy of air time on MTV? No way. Never.
Never say never.
Some of you DeafDCers may recognize Rosie as a former DCer herself, and also former Miss Deaf Michigan. A beautiful girl, talented in many ways, and now a MTV star. Maybe.
THE DEAF PERFORMING ARTISTS NETWORK
The Deaf Performing Artists Network, a new national nonprofit organization, was formed to make music and music culture accessible to millions of underserved Americans, as well as to create career and learning opportunities in the music business for deaf and hard of hearing artists and technicians. D-PAN begins by taking an easy, simple step: By creating deaf-centric reinterpretations of music videos using the standard American Sign Language (ASL), enabling performing artists to communicate to the hard of hearing worldwide. In creating these videos, D-PAN will open up a new channel for dialogue with a vibrant, active community who are anxious to participate in music culture at all levels – as creators, as performers, as consumers.
My hat is off to them- an amazing production of a great song.
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Stone deaf since birth over here.
Music means nothing to me at all.
Sure, some lyrics are cool and all.
Sure, I can dance err…move to a beat.
Still, I have no interest in watching a music video in ASL…
If they threw in those hot chicks from rap music videos I may watch…. ;-)
Many thanks for bringing the existence of deaf “interest” group to my attention.
I did not see any examples of MTV-style ASL videos.
RLM,
Sorry for not being clear. When you go the site, you’ll see the scrolling pics on the right, it will say low and high, click on either and watch the video.
Then you’ll see the ASL/MTV video that I was referring to.
Hmm. I enjoy reading music, I enjoy MTV with captions - I really do. But ASL music? There’s something about the lips and the signing that is really off with me. Do any of you feel this way? I can barely understand the signer if the mouth movement doesn’t match the signs. I have no idea what they’re saying because my brain’s trying to figure out the real words to the song, which I want to know - not the ASL version. I’m thinking - either give it to me in 100% English, or 100% ASL, not a mix of both which throws me off. Is it possible to just sign something in 100% ASL, without the “lip synching”? Would that be better, I wonder.
I agree! The mouth movements bothered me. I would rather have him do it 100% one way or another.
I, too, enjoy music and the accompanying lyrics. I also enjoy trying to translate lyrics into ASL and even believe that there’s an art to doing this. Am also always in admiration of the professional sign language interpreters who seem to be able to do this almost effortlessly.
I second that. I love music and when no one’s watching, I sign/sing my heart out. I won’t do it in public because… like Rob notes, translation is an icky issue.
This video is interesting. I’m still not sure if I like it. There’s something off about it. I can’t tell if it’s because I’m not used to watching deaf music videos or if I don’t like how the lyrics are translated. I do like how the main character (singer? signer?) carries himself. He’s confident and likes what he’s doing. Hmm… I still don’t know.
What will you sing for me next Wednesday, Julie?
It’s a surprise, but only if we’re alone, hon.
Now, now…
I do not know if I’m the only one who noticed that,
but I see that this guy was signing in ASL while voicing English. That is almost impossible and it requires enormous skill. This guy seems to have done
it if not the entire time. I am not even sure if both (voice and ASL) parallel.
It is impossible and there is something missing from the ASL precisely because of that. That’s what I meant when I said something was off. The rhythm of the signs and the mouthing that went along with them just don’t look natural. He’s pretty good at it but it’s still not music to the eyes.
Yeah, his mouthing bugged me too. It’s not pure ASL. Rosie was better at it than the guy.
Yes, it’s impossible and admittedly, it can be
an eyesore, but I have to say I am impressed with how far he could go. Doing that is like rubbing on the head with one hand and tummy on the other.
I have seen someone translate music into ASL and it was done beautifully. This HoH fellow, who had a deaf family, did it at Gallaudet years ago during the homecoming. I remember how many of us have enjoyed it. Also, I’ve seen native users of ASL at a play or two at RIT who have done it and that is what I call music to the eyes.
First off, I can’t hear a thing. Period. So watching this was interesting - I can only imagine the music. It was like the girl was easy to understand, but the guy - I couldn’t figure out if I should watch the signs and ignore the lips or watch the lips and ignore the signs - because they just didn’t match up. I felt like he was trying to do two languages at the same time (he was) and something was lost in the translation of both.
to me, it isnt just the guy mouthing the words. his signing has no rhythm. he signs at the same speed and the tone doesn’t vary.
but visually, i think it’s a great production. the guy’s better off directing his future videos than being on them.
I really liked the concept of the ASL music video. The video is awesome but I agree with commenters above that the guy signing and mouthing English words at the same time was extremely distracting and difficult to understand. It’s like watching someone mouth in Spanish and sign in French at the same time. On the D-PAN site, I left two bits of advice:
1) focus on signing the lyrics fluently in ASL along with the beat of the music
2) leave the English translations for the subtitles, which should be used throughout the video (there are some deaf people who are not fluent in ASL)
iu agree with keri’s suggestions. i think that’d work better. i found myself reading his lips more than watchiing his hands. but then when the girl was signing, i felt it was way too english. see.
now i keep going back n forth. only because I know this song too well and i know the words, so i can picture it in asl, but if it was a song that i didn’t know well, i’d want it in more english.
it’s a good first start.
i do find myself signing to songs in private too, or with my good friends who are deaf, but other than that, ha. in your dreams.
anyone see “deaf jam” the 20 minute UK film? a deaf man from council estates (projects) used rap beats to sign out lyrics in BSL. I guess he’s more liberated to do it because BSL follows English grammar (correct me if I’m wrong).
I’d sing words (that I know and can follow) to favorite songs in private. I tried signing but I’d end up signing in SEE because of the word order and concept of the song. when I’m driving and alone in my office :).
one more thing - Paddy Ladd did cut a music video. I saw a copy during my last visit to Bristol and it was a little disconcerting seeing deafies sign lyrics. I don’t think there were actual voice lyrics. anyone seen it?
For those who DO like music…and DO like signing, and don’t give a hoot what anyone ELSE thinks….ya should try out the ALDACON’s famous karaoke party on Saturday night (check the website for the date) It ROCKS!
http://www.alda.org
RHYTYM MOVE IN THE HEART!
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