Deafness and Color

Deafness and Color

Cassandra Howery

PSYC304 Perception

American Public University

Introductory Paragraph

More than 600 in a thousand children born today have a hearing inability. The inability may either be in in one ear or both according to a new report by NIDCD (2015). Studies that have established the connection between music education and academic achievement have emerged. Visual sound or netter known as Cymatic Lighting technology that uses lighting to give clues to sound characteristic is finally here. Sound qualities such as bountifulness and frequency are mapped to qualities that are similar to chromaticity and luminance through algorithms (De Bastion, 2014). Through this technology, titled CymaSpace Technology Program, efforts are underway currently to develop hardware and resolution that intelligently translates audio into sound and light which can be perceived and seen, and not just heard (De Bastion, 2014).

Physiology

Such technology has been long overdue. Many people especially those that are born deaf have struggled to comprehend music since it has not been into something they can read. With this technology, the wait is over. Deaf people will finally be able to fathom what music is through their other heightened sensory feelings. Through their touch sense they will be able to feel music as well as feel the beauty of color. Their world has been dull characterized by profound silence which will now be replaced by sense of color and music (NIDCD, 2015).

The joy of listening in to music may not be the same as for a person who can hear but it will be the closest thing they can get to such joys given their hearing limitation. Their bodies will experience their excitement and adrenaline rush when music is played in this way. They will feel almost everything we feel when music is played only that their ears will not be playing the part. They can even dance to the music especially when colors are involved. Colors in this technology will be carefully chosen to ensure that they reflect the exact mood of the song so as to avoid confusion between slow and fast songs (NIDCD, 2015).

Psychology

Music soothes according to a research by De Bastion (2014) as such, when a deaf person gets the feel of music in their own special way, they will be soothed in ways they have never felt before. For most it will be shocking at first but later it will feel blissful. There is need to monitor this transition from sheer shock to bliss. If they are not guided in this process, they may end up associating certain colors with shock and fear of the unknown making the whole process a failure. The technology may not help them much considering that they may encounter certain colors in the translation and feel shocked and fearful making it hard for them to enjoy music. Their emotions at the very first moment they feel music will be intense and for some, it may be overwhelming. It can be likened with someone who have never seen light all their life and then they are exposed to sunlight, the impact will be too much to handle. It is, therefore, vital that this technology is associated with certified psychologists who can communicate in sign language to ensure that the experience does not turn out to be horrid for the deaf persons.

Case Example

A perfect of this is a case conducted by Jaya (2011) in his research, whereby five deaf persons were exposed to such music. Two ended up requiring psychologist’s help after the experience while the rest enjoyed the experience fully and wanted it more and more. Those who were unable to handle the experience were identified as mentally weak reiterating the need for psychologist’s help. The rest were also able to identify the colors associated with certain levels of beat frequency and ended up enjoying music and could even dance. The experiment showed that the technology is feasible.

Conclusion

Following studies in music education having a strong connection with academic achievement, the Cymatic Lighting or “visual sound” is purposed to use lighting to give cues as to the characteristic of sound. Deaf people will finally be able to fathom what music is through their other heightened sensory feelings. Through their touch sense they will be able to feel music as well as feel the beauty of color. It is, however, vital that this technology is associated with certified psychologists who can communicate in sign language to ensure that the experience does not turn out to be horrid for the deaf persons.

References

· De Bastion, M. (2014). Cymatic Lighting: A Modern "Visual Sound" System for Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing. Retrieved February 20, 2016, from http://devpost.com/software/cymatic-lighting-a-modern-visual-sound-system-for-deaf-hard-of-hearing

· Jaya, S. (2011). Listening to music: Tuning in to how the deaf perceive music. Connections, 26(1), 5-7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1027231460?accountid=8289

· Nation Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). (2015) Quick Statistics. Retrieved February 20, 2016, from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/pages/quick.aspx