Silent disco

You don’t need sound to enjoy a music gig – and there’s a lot that venues can do to make shows more deaf friendly

SOMETIMES THE MUSIC at a gig isn’t as important as you’d expect. “I think hearing people really are obsessed with music and I’ve never really understood that,” says Stef Linder, the learning and training manager at Expression Australia, through an interpreter. Both Linder and her colleague Olivia Beasley are completely deaf. And both enjoy going to live gigs. “Hearing people assume that I don’t like music, that I wouldn’t be interested in going to gigs or clubs,” says Beasley. “But I am, I just engage with it in a different way.”

While more venues, artists and events are providing deaf-accessible shows (Melbourne even has Ability Fest, a music festival that prides itself on its accessibility), finding an Auslan-interpreted show is still tricky. Accurate interpreters of music are quite a new thing, says Linder. “We don’t train interpreters to become music interpreters but there are a few who specialise because they have an innate skill.” Interpreters alone aren’t enough to make a show accessible and enjoyable for deaf guests (though they should always be available, says Beasley). A live show for deaf people is largely about the spectacle. Visuals – music videos, graphics and montages – all make a show more accessible, and that’s before you even get to the important issue of lighting. “Deaf people are like moths,” says Beasley. “Light is important for us.” It’s even possible to “see” the music by watching how hearing people dance. “You can follow the rhythm and the beat through how people are moving,” says Beasley. Linder adds, “It’s interesting to see how people interpret music and move differently.” The trifecta of lighting, visuals and interpreters that helps make live shows more accessible to the deaf community reveals an unlikely hero: cabaret. Beasley explains: “I love cabaret. Most of the time there’s an interpreter, so they sign the songs and then the performer will talk about the song. It helps me understand where the song has come from.” Organisations and venues leading the charge when it comes to making shows deaf friendly include the Butterfly Club and Melbourne Fringe Festival, but many more are dragging their feet. Providing a space with lighting and seating as well as providing interpreters helps ensure all guests can enjoy the event. Nicola Dowse

“Deaf people are like moths, light is important for us”