The New Orleans Jazz Fest has hired “Sign Language Interpreters” for the disabled, with the aim of giving everyone a feel of the music and increasing community vibes!
New Orleans, the birthplace of Jazz, holds the coveted Jazz Fest every spring. The festival is frequented by people from all over the country who have a soft spot for the art, even those who can’t exactly “hear” the music but come anyway to soak in the festivities. But now, even the music is within their reach, thanks to the professional sign language interpreters that the festival hires.
As you can see, the interpreters try their level best to cope up with the speed of the artists and do a brilliant job of translating! It looks like fun, but interpreters spend weeks studying lyrics and set lists. Every interpreter has their own style and many have their own fan following too! Bruce Springsteen was once so intrigued that he jumped right into the pit with Holly to learn how to sign and not sing “Dancing in the Dark.”
The interpreters know they’ve done a good job when they see emphatic people with disabilities crying with joy and clapping along with everyone. It goes without saying, the immense amount of satisfaction they must be getting out of this selfless act.
We hope more and more festivals around the world sit up and take note of this brilliant initiative to make everyone feel like they belong!