Patrick Properties

This Saturday, a series of free workshops aimed to help adults and children with significant hearing loss learn to enjoy music will be held at the American Theater. See below for more information and registration details from MED-EL, a world-wide leader in hearing implant technology, who is hosting the event. 

As Confucius said, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without,” and is what many individuals with significant hearing loss claim they want to discover…. or rediscover. To help make this happen, international and local experts will be conducting the “Art of Sound” workshops on Saturday, January 30 at the American Theater on King Street. These workshops are free of charge and registration is required. The children’s workshop will run from 9:30-11:00am.

Nevitte Morris (MSP, CCC-SLP, Cert. AVT) a dually certified speech/language pathologist and auditory-verbal therapist and member of the cochlear implant team and the pediatric coordinator of the speech/language pathology department at MUSC, will present a music program designed specifically for children ages 3-9 with cochlear implants (CI) and children that might be candidates for the technology.

“Music is a powerful tool for teaching children who are learning to listen through the use of their cochlear implant devices. They may first become aware of the melody, listening for differences in the pitch and patterns of the music, and eventually, learning to listen and discriminate a variety of tunes through increasing their auditory skills,” said Morris. “When children are listening to music or singing songs they are happy and with the advancements in cochlear implant technology children with hearing loss can have fun with music alongside their peers.”

Accompanying Bliss will be Jamal Mohamed, a percussionist who has previously worked with children who have hearing loss. Together, they will focus on engaging children in music appreciation, listening and hands-on jamming while providing practical tips and tools to help parents promote further enjoyment of music.

The adult workshop, scheduled from 1:00-4:00pm, will feature Geoff Plant, executive director of the Hearing Rehabilitation Foundation (HRF), who, after years of research, has developed a music appreciation curriculum for cochlear implant users. The workshop is open to teenagers and adults with CIs and individuals who might be considering the technology. It will offer participants suggestions on how to better enjoy and appreciate music.

In 2006, Plant worked with Scottish composer Oliver Iredale Searle to write and perform “Noise Carriers,” the first musical collection designed for people who have cochlear implants. Plant created the non-profit organization HRF in 1996 to provide and promote speech communication training for children and adults with hearing loss. Plant also develops rehabilitation resources for people with cochlear implants for MED-EL.

“With the advent of new technologies available in cochlear implants, music appreciation is rapidly becoming a reality for many cochlear implant recipients,” said Plant. “Since I can’t imagine life without music, I want CI users to have the best access to enjoy it as well.”

Anyone interested in attending may register online at: www.rediscoveringmusic.com or call (888) 633-3524. The event is free of charge and includes admission to the museum for the day plus parking. Space is limited.