Music and Sign Language
Sign language is a series of hand, finger, or body gestures, used to convey information. Sign language is often associated with being used by and for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Music is a wonderful and powerful way to convey so many aspects of life. If you think of it in a certain way music is a lot like language. If we can bridge the gap between experiences and seek to understand life through the eyes (or ears) of another imagine how the world could change.
There is a song called ‘Can You Hear Me?’ By Bob Chilcott, most often sung by choirs, that discusses the world from the perspective of a person who is likely deaf. It’s a beautiful arrangement that conveys so much meaning and emotion while also painting a picture of life through the eyes of another. What’s unique about the song ‘Can You Hear Me?’ is it is typically performed using sign language in conjunction with singing.
We can learn a lot about other forms of self or group expression by looking at music through the lens of sign language. For as useful as spoken language is, there is a large part of communication that is nonverbal. You speak through your body all the time, whether it’s joy or discomfort to a person who knows how to read body language what your physical movements say can speak just as loudly as your voice. Learning sign language can help make you more aware of your gestures and movements, as well as what they are conveying to others.
If we incorporate body language and sign language into our live music performances, not only would we be opening up music for a larger audience, but we would also express our songs using the entirety of our being.