April 12th, 2007
Ooh.. a reason to put “iPod” into a Deaf Blog
Over at DeafDC.com, Chris Heuer put a recent blog posting about how changing to a CI would forever alter how he hears music.
I would like to add to that: I’ve found that I have to go through an adjustment period when I got new hearing aids. Nothing sounds right for a while until you get used to them.
But that’s not the point of this blog entry. I want to ask readers to divulge something that’s immensely mundane but also tells something about themselves. This came to me while I was talking about Heuer’s post with Mr. Sandman last night in DC.
In short: I want you to list out your iPod’s Top 25 Playlist (or your favorite music). Mine’s below and I’m surprised at how often I listen to the same albums or the same artists. It wouldn’t surprise me if many other deaf people tend to put favorite albums from favorite artists on a heavy rotation because they know the lyrics. I can’t tell you how many times I would play Billy Idol’s “Cradle of Love” driving to school in High School and screaming it out loud with the windows down.
I look forward to reading what everyone else listens to when they listen to music. Maybe we can develop a list of “deaf-friendly” musicians!
1. Every Breath You Take - The Police
2. Red Red Wine - UB40
3. Don’t Worry Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
4. Beware of Darkness - George Harrison (performed by Eric Clapton**)
5. San Francisco Bay Blues - Eric Clapton
6. I’ll See You In My Dreams - Joe Brown
7. Wonderful Tonight- Eric Clapton
8. My Sweet Lord - George Harrison (performed by Billy Preston**)
9. If I Needed Someone - George Harrison (Performed by Eric Clapton**)
10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - George Harrison (Performed by Clapton/McCartney**)
11. Danny Boy - Johnny Cash
12. Our House - Madness
13. Hold Me - Fleetwood Mac
14. Here Comes the Sun - - George Harrison (Performed by Joe Brown**)
15. Hurts So Good - John Cougar
16. Hurt - Johnny Cash
17. Something - George Harrison (Performed by Eric Clapton/McCartney**)
18. God’s Gonna Cut You Down - Johnny Cash
19. Digging In The Dirt - Peter Gabriel
20. Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae
21. Pilgrim - Eric Clapton
22. Folsom Prison Blues - Johnny Cash
23. Hey Hey - Eric Clapton
24. I Never Walk Alone - Huey Lewis and the News
25. Don’t Stand So Close To Me - The Police
** George Harrison’s songs performed at The Concert For George in 2002 after he died of cancer.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:33 am
It is very depressing to run into brainwashed deaf people that just… Crave to be like hearing people so badly that they must pretend.
This is sick.
The only time it’s not pathetic is if the deaf individual can understand words CLEARLY without reading the lyrics, without working to understand it, without adjustment. In other words, if a deaf person can put a hearing aid on for the first time and understand the lyrics like a hearing person, then that’s fine.
But if you’re going to put that extra effort to listen to music… That’s pathetic and depressing.
April 13th, 2007 at 7:34 am
Yeah, just yesterday, my oldest son had his hearing aids adjusted and complained that the music on his Ipod doesn’t sound the same. We plan to give it a week and then go back to the old settings if he doesn’t like it.
April 16th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Erick;
Thanks for the comment.
Music was a part of my life before I found Gallaudet/ASL/etc. and will continue to be a part of my life going forward, especially with two hearing sons. I’m not sure what you mean in your comment? Is there some unwritten law that says to embrace music is to reject one’s deaf identity? Doesn’t that run counter to the popular notion of “deafhood” where each person defines their own deaf experience?
Karen;
I usually thought the same thing after the hearing aids were adjusted but I usually adjusted within a week or two.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:34 am
Erick - I am at a loss at how much hatred you have towards us who would NOT mind at all into putting efforts to understand the lyrics.
While I prefer to listen through an ASL interpreter, but I like to listen and read the lyrics while listening to music when no one is around.
I LOVE music and it is a huge part of my life. CI is the primary reason why I went for it when hearing aids weren’t doing squat for me. Sorry, that is the truth.
Repeating songs over and over does the trick - it’s not like I’m torturing myself or anything like that.
It’s like enjoying it more and more - like watching your favorite show over and over.
That is NOT pathetic and depressing, Erick.
Whatever - some people just respond to music differently.
Neil - I’m sad that you don’t like any of Pearl Jam songs. *sobs*
So hard to find deaf Pearl Jam fans… wahh. MikeS is one of them, but I want more!
I’d love to rock out with deafies at a Pearl Jam show!
That would be AWESOME!!! *sigh*
Neil - Erick is very anti in everything other than a pure deaf with strong deaf identity. If you are not what he expects, you’re out of his loop and considered as an audist.
I know he considers me as an audist because I have CI myself, even though I identify myself as a deaf person.
In his world, I’m not allowed to want to hear because in his eyes I am trying to fool myself into trying to be a hearing person. That isn’t the truth.
I like to have the option to hear but at the same time I would NEVER tell another deaf person to get one because I have one.
I would have never joined deafhood if Erick was the one who did the lectures - he would miserably fail in uniting everyone of various backgrounds.
Sorry for the rant, Neil - but it annoys the crap out of me seeing Erick attacking or belittling people with his comments.
He won’t respect you until you throw your hearing aids or CI away, shut off your voice, and sign, or at least try to learn in ASL.
The rest of us are evil to him.
(No, you don’t have to approve this comment, Neil - it would certainly cause Erick to flame me even more and you have enough fire to put out in real life! *smile*)
April 18th, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Grr.. There’s an error message when I tried to access to that “while my guitar gently weeps” I love that song and I’ve played it over and over, now I can’t … can you advise me and let me know if any others will be just like this song with subtitles… I love music especially from the 80’s … keep up the good work.. you doing an admirable job as being a Firefighter.. smile.. good day
S. (Ontario, Canada)
April 18th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
S.
Not having any problems here. Try clearing your cache and then doing it again. I have thought about putting others up but it does take a lot of time to do.
-N
January 15th, 2008 at 9:22 am
[...] made no secret of the fact that I love music and my iPod. One of the interesting trends I’ve noticed for myself recently, is how I usually hate a song [...]