Background

When the band members Steve Longo, Ed Chevy, and Bob Hiltermann went to Gallaudet University, they were told that "Deaf people can do anything except hear." This led to them questioning, "What about music? Can Deaf people enjoy music?" While many Deaf people do enjoy music, many others find it irrelevant and tedious having to lip-read bands, making it an experience they're unable to connect with. The formation of the Deaf rock band Beethoven's Nightmare, who used ASL interpreters in their shows so Deaf and HOH people could understand the lyrics, led to a new level of musical enjoyment for those in the Deaf community. 

Music is traditionally an aspect of hearing culture, so many Deaf people find it difficult to enjoy it. There are many barriers keeping them from experiencing it to the fullest, which is why music that is Deaf, made by Deaf artists and celebrating Deaf culture, is so important. It allows for linguistic differences, different histories expressed, and entirely different concert-going experiences than those of hearing musicians. Many Deaf musicians incorporate the use of ASL into their performances as both a political statement and an artistic experience, making each performance a visual as well as an audial experience. Deaf people often use ASL as a tool for storytelling as the grammatical structure is different than spoken languages. Given that fact, it translates well over to music. So much so that interpreters for Deaf bands like Beethoven's Nightmare are not always interpreting the lyrics of what the band is saying, but rather the sound and the story behind it. 

While Beethoven's Nightmare is not the only group of Deaf musicians, they are one of the most famous. They've achieved a higher level of fame than any other Deaf artist, and their audience isn't just made up of the Deaf community, they also perform for the hearing world as well. Their use of ASL in their shows help make them distinctive and inclusive for all audience members, not just interpreting the song but performing it. Overall, the message Beethoven's Nightmare wants to get across with their music is that while Deaf people don't hear with their ears, they can still enjoy music like the hearing community. 

THESIS

"My parents asked why bother? I told them it was a challenge. I wanted to see if I could break down the sound of silence."

- Ed Chevy