Okay, for you deaf music fans, I have a question for you November 26, 2007

I’m loving some of the music I’ve been finding lately, and I had been playing them in my car. The only problem is that I can’t read the lyrics while I’m driving. While I love the music for the most part, it makes far more sense if I know the lyrics too. So, I had been listening to it at home, with YouTube videos and the lyrics in separate browser windows side by side, but I can’t exactly turn it up as loud as I want.

I’m thinking about splurging, then, on some sort of listening device. iPod maybe, or something similar. Even a CD player is an option. With Christmas and my birthday coming up, I’ll have some extra money to put towards it, so I’m guessing on spending about 100 dollars. Is that a reasonble price? What sort of gadget do you suggest I’d get?

Now here’s the tricky part. I don’t know how to get those earbuds to stay on my microphones, and I play music kinda loudly, and I’m not sure how to tell if I’m “treating” the world to my music or not. So, what sort of technical tips and tricks might you have for a person wearing hearing aids to use? Last time I used one of those “muffler” type earphones, not only did I feel stupid, it caused my hearing aids to feedback. So, something a bit more discreet would be appreciated, but I’m open to whatever suggestions you might have. I don’t know any other hard of hearing person who has a bte hearing aids, the one student I know has an in the ear aid, so earbuds are a more viable option for her.

Perhaps I can take out my hearing aid and crank the volume up high, but I find I get a fuller picture with both the hearing aid and the cochlear implant.

I’d love to try to listen to music while exercising, but I’m also willing to look for something to plug into my computer and listen to it that way in the library or something.

 Thanks!

Oh, btw, I’m loving Chris Tomlin at the moment.

Dualistic nature… November 11, 2007

Man, it’s weird. Here I am, on the verge of the entire Deaf culture (learning ASL, going to Deaf gatherings, got the videophone, etc) I am also becoming more “hearing”.

I just discovered music.

Yes, I know, I knew music existed. And that I liked some of them, but my tastes were very very limited, mostly limited to songs I had memorized at least 2 verses to. Music was just a minor annoyance at best, and at the very worst, it was played at full blast in social situations…need I say more? It was just noise to me. I didn’t understand it yet.

But guess what? I went to see Across the Universe. What an amazing movie. Though the middle was a bit weird. And I fell in love with it. And with the soundtrack; a friend copied it over  for me and I’ve been listening to it. And I realized…I’m not limited in music areas after all. My fear of music was mostly a conditioned response from having only hearing aids all these years, then I got my implant, and gradually it improves every single day, even now, 2 1/2 yrs later. The movie I could understand say, 70% of the dialogue, which is a HUGE deal. Usually I get closer to 40% or even less.

Anyway, I had told my friends that I was eager to learn more music (yes, I learn, not listen to it…it takes work to understand this new language). And they’ve given me suggestions…one friend told me about the Yahoo.com music videos, which also has lyrics so I can understand it better. I’ve listened to/seen/read Carrie Underwood’s “So Small”, and plan to listen to more. I’m excited!

Here I am, strengthening my ties to Earth, at the same time I’m finding my footing in Eyeth. Wonderful, wonderful! At first I was going to say it was a schizophrenic feeling, but that wouldn’t be the proper use of that word…I’m not losing track of reality (though I do get a bit flighty at times). The better term is “dualism”. I have these two halves of myself, and I’m going to make an effort to strike an even balance, to make both sides strong alike, as my martial arts self defense instructor says. You have to exercise both sides to balance yourself.

What a breakthrough in thinking. Sounds stupid, I know. But even the smallest step toward “enlightenment” (I use that term loosely) is a big deal.

 I’ll be among the minority of people at Gallaudet, those who listen to music.