ASL interpreter signing Phish’s “Reba” at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, September 2, 2017
Whenever I go to see Phish at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park each Labor Day weekend, my friends and I always end up Page Side near the rail, across from the speakers. From our vantage point, we can see the band and have fantastic sound, but as a bonus we have also been able to watch an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter in action, taking the lyrics of Phish and translating them into ASL for deaf fans congregated near the rail. Not only does this show the inclusive nature of the Phish community and venues in general, but it also demonstrates a different processing style and rendition of the words to the songs that the rest of the venue hears in the moment.
ASL Basics
For deaf Phish fans like Steve Forsthoefel, who first saw Phish in Hershey, PA in 1996, songs were determined by the reaction of the crowd as a song began. “I feel like I’m the only one in the room who is not familiar with Phish songs. In fact, ‘Wilson’ is one of a very few songs I can easily recognize, thanks to Trey’s opening chord which prompts the “Wilson” chant from the crowd.” Updates from Phish: From the Road helps those who are deaf as well. Steve, and others deaf fans can enjoy the show with simple visual updates and without having to rely as heavily on friends or neighbors for song updates.
Steve didn’t have to rely on ASL, but rather studied and memorized more than 50 Phish songs for lip-reading purposes which came in handy thanks to accessible seating near the stage. But like many who are deaf, ASL is a key skill that was learned over time, and in doing so Steve was able to request an ASL interpreter for most the Phish shows he attended since March 2009. “I find ASL highly accessible because it allows me to enjoy music and follow Phish lyrics at the same time. It’s more relaxing going to shows these days without putting so much effort into homework on countless songs.”
Deaf people fall into different categories, including those who have complete deafness since birth, partial deafness, those who had hearing their entire lives but lost their hearing, those who benefit from hearing aids but do not read lips, among others. These groups can be marginalized and need to rely on ASL in various capacities, because being deaf is a unique and invisible disability – they are fully able people but they can’t hear.
ASL is seldom word-to-word translation but rather based on meaning, of the word. Thus, there is no one way to interpret a song, when you factor in an interpreter’s background, education, experiences, knowledge of the music and even their accent. Each interpretation is unique and one concept can be translated in countless ways. Each interpreter has their own process and style, just as a cab driver may take you one way, and another take you a different way. You still end up at the same destination, hopefully at the same time, which is the goal to ASL interpretation.
Interpreters and their styles
Donnie Gibbons grew up with deaf parents and he grew up at residential schools, graduated school and hung out with deaf people, integrating deaf culture into Donnie’s upbringing. When his mom went back to college in her 40s, she discovered there was a huge demand for interpreters, and few men at that. Donnie gave it a shot and began interpreter training at Northeastern University and knew the culture and history that when combined with this skill set could contribute to students he interpreted for. Now he trains and supervises interpreters at The Learning Center for the Deaf in Massachusetts.
Early on in his career, Donnie got cold calls for graduation and events, but in the late 90s he got a call from Furthur, and being a fan of the Grateful Dead he took the gig. This let him to signing for fans of Madonna, Van Halen, American Idol, Furthur once again, then Phish. In a given year, Donnie will sign at 50-60 shows throughout New England in Worcester, Boston, Great Woods, and Manchester, NH. Existing relationships with Tom Bailey from The Capitol Theatre and Peter Shapiro, as well as Phil Lesh’s support for the deaf community, which led to working with GD50 in Santa Clara and Chicago and shows around the country, in addition to a growing network of Deaf fans from across the country who requested him to sign.
There are preferences that deaf fans have, and interpreters including Donnie have developed a relationship with fans through the quality of their ASL as opposed to those who go through the motions or just survive. “Interpreters have to know the music and be poised, fluent, professional, be able to improvise and think in your toes, making momentary decisions that meet the needs of the fan.”
Interpreters are typically hired by a promoter from an agency or simply freelance, and based on preference and skill level will work a variety of events where signing is needed. Sharyn Newcombe Klipstein grew up a Deadhead and her passion for music and ASL combined for when she interpreted for the Dead, and later for Phish and other jambands. “It makes a difference if the interpreter not only knows and gets the music but truly loves it. It’s obvious in the interpretation.”
ASL Interpretation of Ween’s “Piss Up A Rope” at Lockn’ 2016
When interpreting highly complicated lyrics like Phish’s “Reba” or Ween’s “Piss up a Rope,” showing the story becomes the focus, but during songs with limited lyrics, such as “Harry Hood” and “You Enjoy Myself,” Klipstein considers that to be “the beauty of interpreting Phish, sometimes there’s plenty of time to dance. With songs like those I interpret the words more word for word.”
In ASL, one sentence of English can take five sentences to interpret. For example, “Dark Star” doesn’t translate well—you have to talk about a star collapsing into a supernova, two concepts that lend a great deal to visually description. The exact words don’t translate the same way, and with a lot of deaf concert goers, English may not be their first language. “They benefit from cultural mediation” and as interpreters unpack a concept with visual description, they do so not word for word but meaning for meaning.
Meghan Shannon, who was one of the first to Hearing Undergraduate students to graduate from Gallaudet University (for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) in 2003, was immersed in deaf culture from around the world that brought a deeper experiential understanding and respect from a hearing perspective. Meghan signs using the lyric-focused, on-rhythm ASL usually called Contact ASL, as opposed to ASL-concept focus where the English lyrics are secondary to creating visual ASL concepts.
Most interpreters fluidly move through this spectrum depending on the speed, complexity and content of the song. Shannon sticks with Contact ASL partially because deaf fans and clients know the lyrics and some sign along to the songs—“In order to be as fully connected to the larger experience, when the hearing audience is chanting the chorus, often the Deaf music lovers want to be able to the same thing in real time.” Sometimes lyrics have double meaning or go by too fast, and a switch needs to be made, adjusting mid-song in a fluid manner and relying on the intent behind the lyrics.
Not all interpreters are the same
Without a degree of expression based on the knowledge of the intricacies of the music they are signing, interpreters can come off as the equivalent of a “class instructor who speaks in a monotonous voice with a plain face gets boring and shows no emotions” as deaf fan Brian Gunsberg puts it. “They can be terrible if they don’t express the music correctly.” But the instructor who says things with emotion and enthusiasm can make the experience more entertaining. A prime example of adding emotion and enthusiasm can be found from Ween’s Lockn’ set in 2016, when Sharyn Newcombe Klipstein signed the song with a huge response from the video that appears above.
When it comes to Phish, the lack of a setlist can be challenging. While all the song lyrics are printed out in a book for the interpreters to reference, debut songs and first time covers lead to some improvisation of their own. “We are always thrown curve balls. It’s also why it’s important to have a team interpreter because if I don’t know the song, maybe he does or he can catch things that I’m missing,” said Klipstein.
Phish interpreters like Donnie and Sharyn are typically more well versed in the music, but sometimes a venue will hire someone who doesn’t know the music very well and there can be a lag between song and the signing. An example Gunsberg offers is “Bathtub Gin” – everyone has to sing “And we love to take a bath” together, not with a five second delay, for the full effect, which is the purpose of ASL interpreters at concerts – leaving as minimal a gap between deaf and those with neurotypical hearing throughout the show.
Some venues like Dick’s Sporting Goods Park will accommodate deaf fans with an interpreter stationed at the rail with a small area cordoned off for deaf fans to dance and watch the interpreter and band equally. Other venues like Madison Square Garden do not accommodate as well, relegating deaf fans to the 300 section with interpreters projected onto monitors from a remote studio booth, and not always hiring the right people, but both venues meet the ADA’s requirement for a reasonable accommodation. Some venues will give interpreters working passes or in ear monitors with a direct link to vocals. “The stories, the spirits, the words and the audience participation piece – all of that is really dependent on interpreters,” states Gibbons. As a first for a band, Styx recently brought their music direct to deaf fans. By connecting hearing aids and an app from Apple, deaf fans were able to tune into the soundboard of Holmdel, NJ show on August 22.
Gibbons cites the deaf crowd at Dead and Phish shows as family and some of the strongest bonds he has. Being there for the music first and foremost is part of the bond, but also Deaf fans having a struggle in fighting for access at shows and for an interpreter, preferably who knows the music. This struggle, alongside the music, builds this bond stronger over time.
Touring bands are different because they do not travel with an interpreter, as some national acts will do. Never having the same show twice and a distinct vibe is a draw to deaf fans, also known as “Deafheads” who have been going to shows for the past 30 years. They let venues know they don’t want an interpreter from the local pool, but rather someone who knows the lyrics. Arranging a proper setup and familiar product that works for fans has led to Donnie’s repeat business, as well as for Sharyn and Meghan.
During a show, Gibbons and other interpreters are fans sharing the experience with other fans. “The awesome part of my job is looking at the audience. I don’t look at the band very much. When the audience is jamming, I’m jamming. If everyone is dancing, I’m dancing. If the crowd is mellow, I’m mellow. Through osmosis, I absorb the energy of the crowd and that drives me in my interpretations. There is a correlation between crowd energy and interpretive performance.” Still, Gibbons can be stumped (“’Crosseyed and Painless’ is a bitch”) and despite signing some songs 10 times, he still works on them. If Sharyn knows the lyrics and wants to take the lead, she goes for it. For the 12/31/13 “Garden Party,” Sharyn jumped in, and given the propensity for Phish’s unique covers, she can handle Jim Croce, BB King, anything blues and rock n roll. If “Eminence Front” were ever to be performed by Phish, Donnie knows it and the lyrics can get pulled up as fast as possible.
“And if it’s ’2001,’ I’ll get down off my riser and enjoy myself.”
