a hearing loss are candidates for the procedure, and many parents choose this option. The strides that children make who are surgically im-


planted with these devices are impressive, and as the technology im- proved, I saw better and better results in terms of what they were able to appreciate and achieve in music class. I believe that the wide variety of sound sources typically found in our music rooms helps their brains learn and process input. It is important to note, however, that this device was designed for speech perception, and not mu- sic. Although advances continue to be made, your stu- dents may not have access to the wide range of frequen- cies that comprise music. They may be limited in their ability to distinguish melodies and timbres of different instruments, and to match pitch. However, this amaz- ing technology has helped to make music accessible and enjoyable for students with hearing loss, and many have had successful experiences playing instruments, singing, and listening to music.


Media in music class We have become so accustomed to the plethora of


resources available to us that it’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t have them. Yet twenty-five years ago the music room looked quite different. To help students with a hearing loss understand the world of music, I relied a great deal on movement activities, including scarves, rib- bon sticks, and dances. Their understanding of tempo, dynamics and genres was based on how we moved, rather than on what they heard. When I taught about instru- ments of the orchestra, I relied on photographs and re- cordings (think vinyls and cassette tapes!). When the in- ternet finally arrived, there were music sites with pictures of instruments and short audio clips of dubious quality. When I showed videos, there were no subtitles or cap- tions, so I stood in front and interpreted the content into sign language.


Last spring, when virtual school replaced in-person


learning, there was an array of online resources to choose from, including music sites with games, lessons, inter- active activities, and worksheets as well as video clips of musical instruments, orchestras, bands, and musicians. I found that although some would not be understood by my students who relied on sign language, I found a lot that worked for many of them. I also used Loom to


TEMPO 34 MAY 2021


record myself signing lessons and activities. Since I had access to two laptops, I was able to record lessons dem- onstrating how to use activities on other websites. One laptop was open to a web-based activity, and the other recorded myself demonstrating and using sign language to explain the activity. If you are looking for activities for your students with


hearing loss, remember that they rely on lipreading and facial expression, so choose videos that make it easy to do so. If you are teaching virtually and using a screen share mode to explain how to do an activity, make sure you are in the video or find an alternate way to communicate your voiced instructions - with written instructions, or through a one-on-one meeting. Videos of animated char- acters will be impossible to lipread, although depend- ing on your students’ reading level, subtitles may help. Moreover, although most videos are subtitled, there are still some that aren’t, so be sure to use only captioned media. It may help to analyze your activities by asking yourself these questions: “Would I be able to understand this with limited or no sound?” “Will this be a successful and meaningful activity for all my students?” Two examples of sites that worked well with my stu- dents with a hearing loss are Chrome Music Lab and Incredibox. Both of these sites enable children to ex- periment with sounds by manipulating visual elements. Students can manipulate sounds and experiment with rhythm, pitch, beat, and voices, and the visual represen- tations help them to understand musical elements as they manipulate them.


My work with deaf and hard of hearing students was both challenging and rewarding, and I was thrilled to in- corporate newer technology when it arose. Whatever you choose to utilize, I hope that your work with these chil- dren will be as rewarding for you, as you find new ways to develop and enhance their understanding of music.


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