Deaf people love music, just as much as hearing people do. So don’t believe the myth that says; deaf people can’t listen to music because they can’t hear it.

There’s lots of technology available for deaf people nowadays, and it’s still improving. Some deaf people are lucky enough to wear normal headphones, but others have special ones like me! These plug into the bottom of Phonak hearing aids and can be plugged into phones or MP3s to listen to music.

Here’s some more information from NDCS about different ranges of technology available to deaf people: http://www.ndcs.org.uk/family_support/technology_and_products/index.html

The only problem is, when listening to music, I need to learn the lyrics to the song off by heart to enjoy it. This is why I’m never up to date with chart music, as by the time I learn a new song, there’s a new one out!

The same goes to listening to the radio; I need to lip-read or have a transcript to understand what they’re saying. If a song comes on, I love it when people tell me what song it is, so that I can sing along if I recognise it! N.B. I can’t sing! I’m tone-deaf, excuse the pun. As I can’t hear tones, pitches etc. I don’t know what’s in tune or not. An example would be on Britain’s Got Talent, I wouldn’t know if the singers are good or bad.

I’d recommend the ‘Soundhound’ app for deaf people, it’s brilliant for recognising songs that are played, like on the radio or at festivals, and lyrics come up so that we can follow it.

My deaf boyfriend loves listening to music before he goes to bed, I’d like to do that but I just get headaches!

I love listening to music during long car journeys, they make the time pass quicker. My mum told me this story of when I was younger and we were on a family holiday to France in the car, and I’d got a new MP3 player and I was listening to ‘Pop Party 1’ cd! It was my favourite! I fell in love with the ‘Who let the dogs out’ song by BAHA Men…. I was droning on in the car, singing it out loud on repeat! My poor parents! Now that I know I can’t sing, I refuse to sing songs in Chapel at School, or at weddings or karaoke at parties, as I don’t want to embarrass myself!

Deaf people can sing too, if they can hear the tune… (not me!) But D is quite good at it! Did you know, famous composer Ludwig Van Beethoven had gradual hearing loss, and by the last decade of his life he was almost totally deaf?

When I was in Year 6/7, I played clarinet and I achieved my Grade 1 with a Distinction. I don’t know how I did that, but that’s something most people don’t know about me. Even though I couldn’t really hear the notes, I knew how to physically play the clarinet, and it’s not that hard! For the exam, there was a section where they played some tunes on the piano and had to work out the beat and speed, so I felt the vibrations of the piano and worked it out that way! Some of you may know Dame Evelyn Glennie? She’s a famous deaf percussionist and plays solely from feeling vibrations through her feet on the floor. I find it fascinating how she does it!

Deaf people can listen to music, play it and even sing… so don’t judge us by our disability!