Feeling the music
How a very random incident changed a deaf guy's perspective towards the world's universal language - music
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a famed American poet, once said, “Music is the universal language of mankind.”
He isn’t wrong. Music transcends barriers. You don’t need to understand the language to feel it. It gets you through all kinds of situations, and evokes different feelings in you based on nostalgia or key life experiences. But clearly he was talking about the population whose hearing was fine - I doubt accessibility and inclusion were a topic of discussion in the late 1800’s.
As a deaf person, I did not get music. I couldn’t understand lyrics to the songs, nor could I identify the genre or language of music playing on speakers - it was all just a wave of pleasant sounds that helped other folks bond over it. I relied more on visual and olfactory senses to get by in life, and nary gave a thought to music.
To clarify, I did make heartfelt attempts to embrace music. I’ve always felt out of place when I’ve found myself in the middle of a conversation about the old songs of the 80s and 90s between friends, or the times someone enthusiastically asks me if I could recognise the song playing randomly in cafes or pubs. It doesn’t end there; the music section on my dating profile being empty would be a bad look for me, in my head; surely, a complete stranger who can’t listen to music would not exactly be dating material?
I experimented with all languages and genres of music, searching for something that could turn me a believer. With instrumental music, I was able to identify the rhythm of drums, the baritones of guitars and pianos, and the unique pitch of violins etc. I did like the music of Simon and Garfunkel, Enrio Morricone and other musical genres that didn’t rely on lyrics to make an impression on the listener. Even so, my interest in these was short lived; I simply couldn’t forge a bond with music.
As I dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s off my adult life in the 20s, music was no longer in the picture. I took to art, design and cooking to fulfil my keen sight of observation and smell, which were sufficient to guide and inspire me through the good and bad moments in life. I had fitness, sports and an exciting new career path to keep me busy, so clearly I had no need to make space for music.
Fast forward to my 30 year old self. I was disillusioned with how things were panning out for me at that time. I was bereft of ideas and inspiration, and I needed an escape from never-ending responsibilities of adulthood.
It was a Saturday, and I made impromptu plans to catch up with my friend Shashank at his place, to let off some steam and play with his two cats, Mao and Niko. Shashank was the kind of person I would confide in for difficult moments, and he knew I was going through a tumultuous phase at that time.
When I arrived at his home, he was setting up the table for us to chill. The televison was playing the video below:
I had my first taste of techno music/house music, and it profoundly changed my life in an instant.
I was completely transfixed by this new genre of music. Here was a fucking cool DJ doing his thing, whipping the crowd behind him into a slow ascending rhythm of high energy and highly positive vibes. The infectious beats of his set permeated through the screen and elicited a whole range of emotions from me, unbeknownst to myself!
Shashank had the honour of witnessing my life event. Throughout the entire set, I was thoroughly lost to each and every minute of it, experiencing a bout of warmth and comfort I didn’t know was possible. Shashank joined me in my reverie, and we were drinking and dancing in the house without a care for the world.
When the set ended and I was in a dizzy from all that dancing, I took the moment to truly acknowledge that I was wrong about music. There is always something for everyone when it comes to music; I just did not look hard enough.
Six years later, I’ve come to a place in my life where music, especially techno, is a vital part of my growth as a person. I listen to mixed genres of Spotify playlists to make my cooking and work out more enjoyable; I play Ben Bohmer, Above & Beyond, Gioli & Assia and other great artists when I am trying to get creative or inspired, and it tends to help most of the time in unlocking my thoughts.
Techno music did more than make me believe in music. When I shared my discovery of this genre with friends, I was pleasantly surprised to find that some of them shared the same zeal for it. Through house music, I have conversations about finding new artists and getting to know of live performances in the city. Music has also shaped me to be more open and receptive to socialising, taking me out of highly reclusive state at make attempts to forge new bonds with people.
I also hope to share my story with deaf folks and get them to believe in music the way I did. Our loss of one sense should not be the single reason we can’t have the same joy as others when it comes to music — all it needs is the right people and right opportunity to experience music that instills positivity in them. Rihanna’s ASL interpreter grabbed the headlines along with the pop star during her Super Bowl performance, translating the energy of her set through sign language so that deaf people do not feel left out!
Any time I find myself stuck in a rut or be frustrated about not getting what I look for, I always harken back to this Saturday in 2017. Had I continued to waste my time at home instead of deciding to step out, I would never have found techno music. Sometimes, the things we expect of ourselves happen in the most unexpected of places and situations.
The lesson here is — even if you try your damn hardest to achieve something but it isn’t manifesting yet, it is okay. We need to take a step back, and do two things - either keep pushing at it, or try something new outside of our comfort zone. Either we get what we seek in the end, or the process itself will open hitherto unknown new doors for us; all that matters is we keep believing.
If you are also into house music and have some great recommendations, please do send them to me in DMs! Thank you for reading this far about my musical journey :)
