09-07-2025
Auslan interpreters improving concert accessibility for Deaf attendees
While Cheryl Wilhelm's friends were going to concerts and festivals growing up, she often stayed home.
Ms Wilhelm has been hard of hearing since she was five and is profoundly deaf without a hearing aid.
"I missed a lot," she said through an Auslan interpreter.
"As a teenager, I was just growing up and dancing. Did I really understand the music? Not really."
But lately, there has been a significant shift.
While familiar at emergency announcements and press conferences, Auslan interpreters are now becoming increasingly common at events like concerts and shows.
"Now, it's a lot more accessible. It's much better," Ms Wilhelm said.
But conveying the intricacies of music can be a delicate and considered task.
That improved accessibility has meant that during her adult years, Ms Wilhelm has been much more inclined to enjoy heading along to live performances.
"You can feel the excitement building as you go in [to a concert] and that's really good, and then once you get in, and you sit down, it's just really nice to be included. I think that's the main thing," she said.
Fellow deaf concertgoer, Debra Swan, also communicates through Auslan, and said interpreting music through sign is more of an art form than a pure translation.
She said interpretation conveys much more than the lyrics alone.
"I remember one time they gave me a paper with the words on it, and I thought 'I'm supposed to read that?'," she said.
"But there's no connection in just the words — the vibe — there's nothing there. There's no emotion, no feeling through just words. You need to see that visually.
"We want access to be able to get that vibe and to get the environment and the feeling around it. That's what's really important."
Claire Morrison began learning Auslan 20 years ago.
She has interpreted alongside artists like Kylie Minogue and Josh Pyke, and at events including the Adelaide Fringe and Womadelaide.
Later this year, she will also be joining Metallica on stage.
Ms Morrison said it can take hours to prepare for a single concert.
"It's listening to the music over and over and over. Researching what the lyrics might mean, thinking about what they mean, embodying the feeling of the song, and then I guess using all of that to put together an appropriate interpretation," she said.
"[It's also] thinking about pictures in your mind. Perhaps making a movie in your mind of the story that's being told [and] having that in your head while you're trying to express that through your body.
"It might be a really joyful song. So, your body, your hands, your face, your eye gaze, everything helps to get across that message and that meaning."
Ms Morrison said while every interpreter is different, she had developed her own techniques to communicate the sounds and feelings of music.
"Through your whole entire body, through movement, through your facial expression, through trying to represent the performer in the way you're moving, [and] the space that you're using," she said.
"Deaf people don't want to just be watching you doing air guitar or air drums. If there's no lyrics and there's a lot going on, there's an element of fatigue too [in] just watching an interpreter the whole time, so it's a wonderful break to be able to watch the band, watch the orchestra, watch the dancing.
"It gives me great joy. It's a very joyous thing to do because everyone is happy and you're providing access to Deaf people who you see their faces light up and the connections they make."
Emma Perkins is a violinist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) and said Auslan interpreters have been a welcome addition to performances.
"I feel really proud that the ASO is making real ground on trying to make us more accessible, trying to make our offerings open to more people," she said.
"It just feels great to be able to connect with people who may not have experienced what we do.
"I personally feel really strongly that it's something we need to be doing. We're for the entire community — the ASO is for everybody here in South Australia."
That sentiment has been echoed by Ms Wilhelm and Ms Swan, who said having access to live music through nuanced interpretation has made all the difference.
"With the interpreters, it's just a really amazing experience and very much worthwhile," Ms Wilhelm said.
