DEAFinitely Dope By Matthew Maxey

In this workshop, participants will study how music is interpreted and presented into American Sign Language and what the greater visibility of signed singing means for the Deaf community.

Performances by Deaf performers and interpreters at the Super Bowl and the proliferation of ASL videos have fostered new visibility and a broader stage for signed singing.

In this workshop, participants will learn more about the experience of music for Deaf people, and how interpreters and Deaf performers are “making music visible.” Further, participants will discuss how to prepare for musical interpretation, how to interpret beyond the lyrics, and the significance of different styles of music for the Deaf community.

C4 Communication and DEAFinitely Dope invite you to learn more about music in the Deaf community in this amazing workshop, not to be missed.

WORKSHOP EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:

• Participants will develop a plan to prepare to interpret music.
• Participants will compare and contrast interpretation and performance in music, understanding the importance of Deaf representation on stage.
• Participants will compare the diverse styles of music interpreting and why everyone cannot do it.

PRESENTER BIO: 

Matthew Maxey hails from Decatur, Georgia and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Born with a severely profound hearing loss, and outfitted with hearing aids at 2 years old, it became apparent at an early age that life would be anything but ordinary. Fast forward and Matthew attended the prestigious Gallaudet University in Washington, DC where he began to learn sign language in an attempt to balance the struggle of developing his identity as a double minority in terms of ability and race. 

In 2014, DEAFinitely Dope was founded as an idea based on providing support to those that felt marginalized and ignored by mainstream America. DEAFinitely Dope started as a brand, and slowly blossomed into a movement, attracting the likes of educational institutions nationwide, CNN, ESPN The Undefeated, GQ, Cole Haan, ABC news, Chance The Rapper, MTV Video Music Awards, and countless more! With both hearing and deaf partnerships in play, Matt strives to continue to break barriers and defy the norms with a fresh perspective on interaction, inclusion, accessibility and equality, as awareness continues to grow!