sign language Archives - Minds On Music

Amber Galloway Gallego – Sign Language Rock Star

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Have you ever been to an event that had an interpreter for the hearing impaired? You can find them in a wide variety of places: commencements, lectures, even broadway plays. These folks are specially trained in programs all across the country. For quite a long time, one could attend the Juilliard Interpreter Training program, specifically to be trained to interpret live theatre events. This program was founded by a friend of mine, Alan Champion. Alan, a child of deaf adults (CODA) passed away in 2011, but during his time as a Broadway interpreter he served audience members of Next to Normal, Wicked, Shrek: The Musical, the Lion King, Jersey Boys, The Producers, and countless others. It is a special skill and Alan was one of the best. Here’s a short video in which Alan shares a bit about his work:[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkFAM0zYJ8o”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

What About Music Performances?

Interpretation for sung music events has been around for quite a while, but there is a growing group of ASL interpreters taking the art to a new level. Meet Amber Galloway Gallego. Here she is interpreting “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy4qFFrATmw”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Take note of a few things. Amber isn’t just conveying the meaning of the words…she’s conveying musical phrases, changes in pitch level, and dynamics. The energy in her gestures matches the energy in the music. It isn’t just about the words…it’s about the words and the music together and how those two things exceed the their individual values when combined.

Song is an incredible art form. It is more than just music and more than just words. The rise of the line in a song can make us experience feelings in ways just hearing the words spoken can’t. It makes sense that signing songs in real time as they are performed must take traditional ASL out of the box and let it lose. Here, Amber explains a bit about what she does and demonstrates the differences between her style of interpreting and traditional interpreting.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuD2iNVMS_4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Amazing, isn’t it? This type of interpreting gives a greater level of nuance to the observer. It…kicks it up a notch.

How many of you have seen Mr Holland’s Opus? Do you remember that scene in which Richard Dreyfuss brings his high school band to his son’s school – a school for kids who are hearing impaired? He shares music with them in lights…in feeling the beats of subwoofers. He reaches beyond the “norm” to share an experience with a group that is often left out. That is what Amber and her colleagues are doing – bringing music to a part of the population in a way that allows them to encounter singing in a more vibrant way. We think that’s simply fantastic.

After all…music is for everybody.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Want to learn more about Amber’s work? Check out her website here. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The “Signs” of Language Learning

I was doing some research today on baby sign language and ran across an interesting article. Even though sign language is a great way to encourage early communication in young children, some parents, like the one in the article, are concerned that this form of early communication might delay their child’s verbal development.

The opposite is typically true. The combined experience of movement and spoken language encourages your baby’s understanding of the word, as well as increases retention of the new word. This is because he is engaged actively in the learning experience, and the movement has stimulated the brain to receive the incoming information. “Talking and signing together flood the baby with language,” says Acredolo whose research, published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, indicates signing may even give children a slight future verbal edge. “At 36 months, the [signing] babies in our study were speaking, on average, the equivalent of non-signing 47 month olds,” she says. *

Parents can begin to work on baby sign language as early as 3-6 months, and children will typically begin to sign back around 6-12 months old. However, it’s not too late if your child is past that age. Sign language can be a fun way to communicate for children of all ages. I recommend taking a sign language class, such as Sign and Sing, with your child to learn how to present the signs in an interactive, age appropriate, and fun way. A sign language class will also help you to understand your child’s hand development. If a sign is too difficult for them to form, your child will likely make adjustments to the sign. Once you learn what to look for, you may be surprised to find your child has several signs they are already using.

*MSNBC.com article written by Victoria Clayton

~ Written by Kindermusik educator Aimee Carter, owner of Kindermusik at Delightful Sounds, as originally posted on her “More Than a Children’s Music Class” blog.

Splish, splish, SPLASH!

The following post was shared from Kindermusik educator Joy Granade.

Some days bathtime feels like a chore, just one more part of the day you have to slog through to get the kids into bed, so you can crash. However, over the years it’s been amazing to watch the way my hubby has turned bathtime into a special ritual with the boys.

When my oldest was first born, my hubby proudly declared that he wanted the responsibility for bathtime. At first I wasn’t quite so sure as his early attempts were filled with some crazy misadventures. But before long I saw what a treasure bathtime was quickly becoming for my two (and now three) guys.

Proud Kindermusik mama that I am, I have seen in action how important rituals and routines are for helping babies, toddlers, preschoolers (and even grownups) find order and peace in their days. Not only have I seen them ease tantrums and tears, but I’ve also watched how they help us as a family calm and connect to one another. So, here are a few lessons I’ve learned from watching my sweet hubby at bathtime with the boys:

Give yourself time. When you don’t feel rushed, you both can be really present in the moment, which helps you make bathtime a bonding experience but also helps your little one feel relaxed and ready for bed.

Bathtime can be playtime. And of course for little people, playtime is always learning time. Whether you just grab a small colander, funnel, and measuring cups from the kitchen or you buy bathtoys, water play is a blast and a great way to learn. Watch how things sink or float. Talk about colors. Count. Play with textures – washcloths or even sponges cut into shapes or animals. Identify letters (foam ones are fun to stick on the wall).

We even used bathtime to teach a lot of sign language (DUCK, WATER, BATH, IN, OUT, MORE). Our favorite toys: ducks, stacking cups with holes that water can drip through, and now dinosaurs we can bathe. I’ve also heard of families bringing baby dolls or cars to share in the bath as well.

Consider using your hands. Touch is one of the most important ways we connect. A long time ago my hubby declared that he didn’t want to use baby washcloths much, though they are sometimes necessary. He knew that the special act of washing our boys with his bare hands communicated love and affection in a way that a washcloth couldn’t.

Add a little massage. With our littlest babies in the Village classes, we often share a time of baby massage. Bathtime is the perfect time to extend this activity. Whether you just give a little extra squeeze as you scrub your little one down, or you pull out some lotion for a sweet massage after you’ve toweled off, this kind of loving, intentional touch aids in digestion, relieves colic, promotes health, and might even help your child sleep.

Even after we quit giving massages at bathtime, I continued to give backrubs and leg and arm massage as we snuggled before bed when I knew our kids were having a hard time settling down for bedtime.

And of course…make music! Because transitions have always needed a little extra creativity in our household, we made up a bathtime song years ago. (It sounds like the old Batman TV show theme but uses the word Bathtime instead of Batman. Only my hubby.) But it grew from there. Before long we had songs we sang to calm crying babies as we toweled them off, chants for counting “piggies” in the bath (“This little piggy…”), and even songs about scrubbing in the tub. Sometimes we just sang our latest favorite Kindermusik songs or even made up new silly songs. It never matters what we sing, it always makes bathtime easier – especially when it’s been a long day.

Time to get out of the tub! And last but not least, all good things must come to an end, and with bathtime, sometimes the fun is so great that getting out is hard. That’s why it’s a good idea to come up with a few rituals for getting out.

Over the years ours have evolved. For our babies, we sang lullabies to help ease the transition. Then as the boys grew, they counted down 5 minutes, 3 minutes, 1 minute till time to get out of the bath. Soon they were making choices about how to get out of the tub – stomp like a dinosaur out of the bath or jump like a monkey.

But the best was what happened on the other side of the tub wall. Whether they hid under the towel, played peekaboo, or pretended to be butterflies wrapped in a towel cocoon, there was always a big snuggle at the end of bath – my favorite part!

Special thanks to Kindermusik educator Joy Granade for sharing this post from her blog, Kindermusik with Joy. Information about Joy’s Kindermusik program in Kansas City, MO, can be found at her blog.