Visual Instincts

I love music. I am song and dance man, not so much a fan of instrumentals. As is the lot of Deafies and deafies, some of us may well be able to speak, but when it comes to singing, we probably sound like Pierre and his choir of felines in heat.

Still, there is sign singing, which art form in itself. The point of this post is not to analyse the artistry, creativity and techniques of sign singing, but to ask the question, why do Deafies congregate around the crappiest pop songs?

I’m listening to music now, and reading the lyrics at the same time [I always do], and that question cropped up again. I really love good lyrics. I love songs that play on many levels. I love poetic and literate lyrics. Sure, every now and then I give in to my baser instincts and listen to crass, commercial pop.

What prompted this question? My experiences in sign singing always seem to involve vomit inducing song choices [not saying what, but GOD knows!], revolving around themes of love, overcoming adversity, and emotions; or when used for marketing/ PR purposes, “Money, ****ing, Money!” I’ve had the pleasure of an interpreter who sign sung, Foxy Lady by Jimi Hendrix and Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin for me, so all is not lost.

I do wonder if here are any Deafies out there who are translating stuff like:

Ways To Be Wicked [Lone Justice]

Yeah I can take a little pain
I could hold it pretty well
I can watch
your little eyes light up
When you’re walkin’ me through hell
Well I’ve
been your fool before, babe
And I probably will again
You ain’t afraid
to let me have it
You ain’t afraid to stick it in

Yeah you know so
many ways to be wicked
But you don’t know one little thing about love

Yeah those cobra eyes
Light with a smile
You take pride
In
that devil down inside

And G.O.D’s own favourite song [in fact, her theme song]:

Devil Gate Drive [Suzi Quatro]

When they reach their teens, that’s when they all get mean
Down in Devil Gate Drive
When I was sweet sixteen I was the jukebox queen
Down in Devil Gate Drive
I lead the angel pack on the road to sin
Knock down the gates!
Let me in. Let me in
Don’t mess me ’round, cause you know where I’ve been
To ‘The Dive’ down in Devil Gate Drive

So come alive. Come alive
Down in Devil Gate Drive
So come alive. Come alive
Down in Devil Gate…down in Devil Gate
Down in Devil Gate Drive
Down in Devil Gate…down in Devil Gate
Down in Devil Gate Drive

I do wonder too, if any Deafie has sign sung The Rocky Horror Picture Show.This would be one hell of a show done in sign. As Rocky Horror is a homage to all the B Grade Sci-Fi movies of the mid 20 Century, with its satire on boy meets girls, and good vs evil. Though, the major challenge lays in its references to movies, singers, actors, and movie plots. I do prefer the Australian Cast recording with Reg Livermore.

Why don’t you stay for the night (night)
Or maybe a bite (bite)
I could show you my favourite obsession
I’ve been making a man
With blond hair and a tan
And he’s good for relieving my . . . tension

Well I was walking down the street just a having a think
When a snake of a
guy gave me an evil wink
He shook-a me up, he took me by surprise
He had a pick-up truck and the devil’s eyes
He
stared at me and I felt a change
Time meant nothing, never would again

Another show that would be great translated into sign, would be Return To The Forbidden Planet, a show I have seen when I was living in the UK nearly 10 years ago.

Yes! I am a rebel, and I do love my freedom and thumbing my nose at society songs! Meanwhile you can watch someone who has brought sexy into sign singing, Zombie Coterie!

Further Reading:

On Being Me: No Matter Where You Go, There You Are P3
The Crossroads

At the end of my previous post, The Crossroads, I mentioned that I am currently working on a story about a Deaf boy who wants to be a rock star. There is only one way he is going to become a rock star, and that is by becoming hearing. For those who must know, yes, it is about me. Whilst I have no intention of writing an autobiography, my story is biographical in that it reflects my “hopes, fears, dreams and desires”. Just so that you know, my life hasn’t been all that exciting, and neither have I made a Faustian Bargain [that I would ever tell you about].

The character whom I based on myself is Joshua. A Deaf boy who was born hearing, and became deafened at the age of 5. He has always had some useful hearing, which has stood him in good stead over the years when communicating with hearing people, getting an education, and by and large, having some fun. Like me, Joshua loves music. He has buried himself in the sounds, images, culture and history of popular music. He locks himself way in his room, turning up the volume and miming. With a broom for a microphone and a tennis racquet for a guitar.

In him, I have embodied the conflict of deaf and hearing. Joshua, a Deaf boy, living in a hearing world, and wanting to be a rock star. This causes an internal [emotional] split, which creates havoc with his sense of belonging and who he is. As Joshua matures, and comes to accept his Deafness, and reconciles these opposing forces, that shadow of doubt remains. A true reflection of my outlook today. The big question [for Joshua and I,] is whether this dichotomy will ever [or can ever] be truly resolved.

I have been wanting to write this story for a long time. I could not decide on a format, so I have set myself the Herculean task of doing four: a novel, a musical, a rock opera and a screen play; and I am hoping through the writing process, I will be able to settle on the format that will allow the story to come to life. Then again, I can see the potential of each format hosting a different interpretation of the same story, and it might just be more fun different viewpoints of the same story.

In the process, I aim to give lie to David Lodges’ assertion that:

However, deafness restricts and thins out the supply of new ideas and experience on which the novelist depends to create his fictions. Living under a deaf sentence

There is such a dearth of positive images and portrayals of Deaf people in the media, whenever someone creates a project with a Deaf character, creates a Deaf character, they encounter all sorts of problems. Least of all, it questions your loyalty to your community or your loyalty to yourself. So in a sense, my portrayal of a deaf boy who wants to become hearing, is itself something of a Faustian Bargain, with Mephistopheles sitting on my left shoulder, chattering away about movie deals, opening nights, CD and DVD releases, and blah, blah, blah.

Research [if you can call it that,] is ongoing, but the struggle is in the writing. The story unfolds quite vividly in my mind, but in the transference to the page [computer screen], it is encountering extreme resistance. In order to do the story justice, my responsibility as the writer, is to treat the theme with honesty, and not pander to popular stereotype, or communal expectations of what and who the deaf character is. How it translates to the stage or the screen, in terms of acting roles, is another issue, but the point remains. To do the story justice. And only by doing the story justice, will we see a break in stereotype, and more truthful portrayals of Deaf [and deaf] people.

Meanwhile, the writing process, is a form of therapy [for me], and many issues that have lain dormant or not dealt with, are inserting themselves in between my mind and the page [computer screen]. Also, too many philosophical discussions about life, love and death with my hearing mate in the mountains, accompanied by a few bottles of wine don’t help.

But, I have found the protagonists [Joshua's] voice, and appropriately enough, it will start on the night of his [that is, my] death!

Reading:

The Crossroads [The Devils Playground]
Dualism
Zen Guitar [The Book]
The Zen Guitar Dojo
The Blue Mountains [For When You Visit Australia]
Whose Story is It Anyway?
The Tree Of Knowledge
The Tree Of Life, The Fruit Of Knowledge, Of Good & Evil
The Idol-Maker: David Lodge – Deaf Sentence
Robert Johnson And The Crossroads Curse
Deal With The Devil
Mandala
Aureola/Mandorla
The Shadow
Owning Your Own Shadow
Owning Your Own Shadow [Read Online]
The Road Less Travelled
The Road Not Taken
M. Scott Peck
Robert A. Johnson [Spirit Site]
Robert A. Johnson

What would you be prepared to do, to satisfy a desire for knowledge, power, status or change in life circumstances? What would you be prepared to trade off to achieve this knowledge, power, status or change in life circumstances? Decision making is not always a simple task of “either, or”, but a series of trade-offs where neither option is perfect.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Such is the journey to The Crossroads, and such are the choices that we, Deaf and deaf people face constantly in our efforts to carve out a meaningful life. The sacrifices, and the trade-offs we make. Some of which are in our power, and some without our control, to ensure that the choices we make, are meaningful ones. This is the nature of the Faustian Bargain, where the choices Mephistopheles presents us with, are “either, or”.

Even though I’ve never read Faust, or any of the other Faustian legends, the theme is ever present in the lyrics and the sounds of the music I listen to. When singers and musicians harness the polar opposites of positive and negative, the propel the music towards meanings at odds with its surface presence. This can be evidenced in the blues, where lyrically, the mood is often one of despondency and despair, yet the music is upbeat, playful, joyful, and downright lusty, as to impart the message of survival, inspite of the circumstances.

Grandpa’s Song [Watch the video on Youtube], by Vika and Linda, is a secular song, with a spiritual bent.

Grandpa’s Song

You were standing there, years ago
Waiting so patiently, to take me home
And as you held out your hand, I’ll never forget
I walked right by you, this day I regret

I had fire in my heart and you knew it
I was like you, so much like you

As I marched along, five paces ahead
You had a smile for me, I still can’t forget
Still I wanted to walk, on my own
You were there to protect me, on my way home

Time has gone, and it’s taken you with it
I miss you so, this much I know

Now I look back, on all that I’ve done
I hope you’ve forgiven me, see I was so young
I have grown, I now walk alone
I feel you beside me, still guiding me home

I had fire in my heart, and you knew it
I was like you, I was so much like you

Time has gone, and taken you with it
I miss you so, this much I know
I miss you so, now that I know

It was written by Vika as an apology to her Grandfather for her
behaviour when she was younger and her shame of her cultural heritage.
A story I know, and identify with. Yet, it works brilliantly as a metaphor for
the relationship between human beings and their maker [God]. Or simply
a metaphor for human pride, borne out of ignorance, and pitted against
greater forces beyond their understanding [and control], and ultimate
concession [or submission to humility].

The killer lines in Grandpa’s Song, are neither lyrical or melodious, but the ebb and flow of Maori
Choir that swells up after the instrumentals break. This represents a
moment of epiphany, and the sound of the choir that ever so gently, tugs the singer [and listener] towards a state of humility [the greater good]. This never fails to raise
goose bumps, and a rush to the head, in me. There have been moments
when I was nearly given to tears.

The song itself is easy to translate into sign language, and would make for a great signed song. The point for me, though, is how to translate the sounds of the choir, illustrate that ebb and flow, and its gentleness, without whom the song would lose a lot of its intensity. [For me, anyway!]

There is one other song, by Vika and Linda, itself a killer tune, which also works on both the secular and spiritual levels. These Hands, which I will leave you to deduct its meaning, but suffice to say, I interpret it is a call to arms for Deaf Pride, is imbued with many of the elements that make Grandpa’s Song so powerful: pride, humility, knowledge, understanding and esteem.

These Hands

The breeze blows gentle
The trees all sway, as if to wave
I picked up my suitcase
To pack up my dreams and leave, and sail away
On an endless ocean
With a sinking heart, I was torn apart
When a voice came drifting, warm and rise
Something lifting me up to the sky
These hands that hold me, are good and strong
I’ll be on my feet before too long
My life’s not over, why should it be?
These hands that hold me
They told me to hold on
Along the journey, I’ll need hands to hold on
My mind still wanders
Along the long white beach, that washed my feet
And the silver water
Under the island moon, I can almost reach
This endless ocean
So cold and deep, and I’m trying to sleep
Then a voice comes drifting, warm and wise
Something lifting me up, to the sky

Actions are not without their consequences, a these two songs [and I'm sure you, my dear readers, can come up with examples of your own] illustrate. The pertinent lesson is that decisions we make, are not always clear cut. The
devil in the detail, being the shades of grey, the area of ambiguity
that exists between these polar forces.

In artistic terms though, these songs detail the tensions that exit between the polar forces of positive and negative [good and evil, yin and yang, black and white, being and non being, et al]. Which provides a rich mine of ideas for stories and images, with which you can enhance the story with ambiguity, irony, ecstasy, and enlightenment.

In a mainstream culture that worships the Faustian Bargain, the Crossroads, the Polar forces, continue to fascinate me, and are the source for the story that I am currently working on. A story about a Deaf boy who wants to become a rock and roll star. [As my friend Liam said to me, "It's about you!" - that is me.]

Reading:

Robert Johnson And The Crossroads Curse
Deal With The Devil
Mandala
Aureola/Mandorla
The Shadow
Owning Your Own Shadow
Owning Your Own Shadow [Read Online]
The Road Less Travelled
The Road Not Taken
M. Scott Peck
Robert A. Johnson [Spirit Site]
Robert A. Johnson

As I wrote in The Tree Of Knowledge, with reference to the writer David Lodge, Deafness is a personal experience and the journey towards acceptance/ acclimatising to one’s Deafness is a personal one.

For some writers, painters, sculptors, photographers, dancers, actors, and multimedia artists, it is a source of inspiration for their work. How they depict their Deafness/deafness can be fraught with triteness, ignorance, misrepresentation, and treasonous and rebellious thoughts. For Hearing audiences, they are a curiosity. For their Deaf audiences, it can be tantamount to a violation of allegiance towards the Deafhood, should that depiction fail to meet with their expectations.

These points were driven home by the recent controversy surrounding Matt Hamill’s decision to cast the hearing actor, Eben Kostbar, to play him in a biopic of his life. Having read through a selection of the responses [links below], I understand what the whole ballyhoo surrounding Matt was about. Views were polarised, and a few were quite childish, but the debate contributed nothing to the advancement of Deaf art and Culture. Inspite of this polarisation, as a Deaf person, I do understand the criticisms.

When I realised what the controversy about Matt Hamill’s biopic was about, my first thought was, “Oh frigging hell. Here we go again. Another hearie mining us for their own gratification!” With an “Artistic or otherwise” justification tossed in as an afterthought.

The cynicism in me, and in Deaf audiences, is understandable. We have such a dearth of positive images and portrayals of Deaf people in the arts and the media. We are often

• an aberration,
• issue of the month,
• a metaphor for loneliness and abject misery,
• marvels of nature who can speak with their hands,
• a short lived example of how liberal hearing people are,
• an act of redemption via the miracle of technology, or
• an opportunity to aim for the Oscars.

Nevertheless, the question must be answered. “Whose story is it anyway?”

You can’t even begin to do justice to this debate, until this simple question is answered. It can be answered from a view different viewpoints. The subject, the creator, the writer, the producer, the actor, the painter, the photographer, et al, and the audience. However, in the final reckoning, this story belongs to Matt. It is a biopic of Matt Hamill’s life.

Though, credit must be given to the production team for sharing information about their intentions regarding this film. This openness is rather unusual in the Deaf world, well known for playing their cards close to their chest and not divulging much, if anything.

I’m not overly convinced by Eben Kostbar’s exhortations in the Actor’s Statement to the Deaf Community. My cynicism remains. For the simple reason, that most Deaf related projects are one off events. Which stands in stark relief to Deaf artists to whom Deafness is an intrinsic value, and who cannot make hearing related projects one off events. Eben’s integrity will be tested by his continuation of, or discontinuation as the case may be, of Deaf related projects.

Though I do admit some admiration for what Matt and the production team are trying to do. Reading the Producer’s Statement to the Deaf Community, reflects much of what I hope to do with my own writings and other media. Though, once again, the integrity of the production team will be tested by their continuation of, or discontinuation as the case may be, of Deaf related projects. Assuming the same team work together on other projects.

As someone who has grown up in a Hearing world, prior discovering my own sense of Deafness and Deaf culture, this melding of Deaf and Hearing, is an exciting prospect. I appreciate the potential of this project. Not so much the subject, as for the production team open to the idea of a workspace that attempts to fuse Deaf and Hearing artists and producers, into a mutual beneficial and creatively enhancing experience.

Further Reading:

Deafies In The Movies – Who’s Story? Mine Or Yours?
The Tree Of Knowledge
The Idol-Maker: David Lodge – Deaf Sentence
David Lodge: Deaf Sentence
Matt Hamill
Matt Hamill: The Movie
Controversy Surrounds Casting for “Hamill”
Who Says Who Plays Whose Life?
Statements of Matt Hamill and Eben Kostbar
NEWS FLASH! NTID/RIT cancels HAMILL (movie) auditions!
HAMILL – The Movie: Producers’ Statement
Lighting A Candle in the Deaf Darkness
Dis and data…Deaf issues on my mind
“Introducing the Hamill Movie” Website
It is about the long history not Matt Hamill
Amy Cohen Efron Vs. Matt Hamill
Matt Hammil Vs Amy Cohen Efron Part 2
Support Hamill? Yes and No
Go, Matt Hamill. Go!
21: Double Jeers to Matt Hamill & Eben Kostbar
Open Letter to Matt Hamill

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