1. Examining the Audience’s Reaction to The Black Drum – Signed Musical Production.
- Author
-
Cripps, Jody H.
- Subjects
COMMUNITY music ,DRUMS (Musical instruments) ,AUDIENCE response ,SIGN language ,LANGUAGE arts ,PERFORMING arts - Abstract
This study explores how audience members reacted to The Black Drum, the first signed musical production produced by a deaf cast and crew. Signed music is an original form of art that uses non-auditory and visual compositions either in non-lyrics, signed language lyrics, or both (e.g., Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf, 2015; Cripps and Lyonblum, 2017; Cripps et al., 2017; Witcher et al., 2021). Three questions were asked to randomly chosen deaf community audience members who had seen this play: 1) Did you enjoy the play? (as an opening remark) 2) How is The Black Drum signed musical unique? and 3) Which signed music piece in The Black Drum is your favourite? Why? Responses from the audience members revealed their opinions and viewpoints on this featured musical that was designed to be fully accessible, as well as how music is accepted and embraced in the deaf community. The study on the audience’s responses to The Black Drum in the performing arts ecosystem will result in a greater understanding of what constitutes music in the deaf community as well as its applicability to the mainstream environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024