Singer Milly Nave wants everyone to enjoy music – including those who cannot hear it. Just because one cannot hear does not mean they cannot enjoy music, and Milly Nave is working to make musical events inclusive to those with hearing impairment.
Milly is creating cross-culture musical songs and events.
“While learning sign language I used the music to implement the language within me, I understood this artistic and healing connection.”
目次
“People told me I was crazy”
Milly's interest in music and performing began at a young age. A part of different bands and choirs, Milly had a love for performing for others.
A year before her military service, she was exposed to sign language through “Shema”, an association for the integration of deaf and hard of hearing people.
״I arrived at the “Shema” Association and they gave us a course in sign language. Within 4 months I felt this was what I wanted to do in life.״
She later did a bachelor's and master's degree in education at Tel Aviv University but felt like she was losing her way.
“My soul felt like it was supposed to be on stage and deliver content to a lot of people. In retrospect, I was 20 years early. I said sign language and music can be performed together and people told me I was crazy, no one would see it as art.”
Milly is now proving that sign language can be art by being on stage with artists, signing the lyrics of the music. Through enthusiasm and energy, Milly can provide the concert experience without using sound.
“Everyone can be at the front of the stage and enjoy the show. Today thanks to this change in consciousness, more deaf people book performances even though they might initially have felt that it was not their language.”
The popularity of sign language with music is growing exponentially in Israel. Recently, a group called the “Shalva” Band, made up of musicians with disabilities, made its debut in the Israeli media. They performed during the 2019 Eurovision that was host by Israel in front of millions of viewers worldwide.
The message is clear, says Milly. An increasing amount of people are embracing ideas of acceptance, accessibility, and inclusivity.
Visual communication through “Love Signs”
Children today are stuck inside the screens so they communicate less with their environment. To combat this problem, Milly created “Love Signs” a method of communicating with kids and babies through sign language.
“Using my method, babies and toddlers who cannot yet speak can tell us their needs through signs. This will make them feel that they are being seen, heard, and understood. Our five-episode series teaches you how to communicate with your kids through signs. The episodes relate to daily relevant parent-child interactions: changing a diaper, going out to the garden, bedtime, and more.”
“When my children were born, I discovered that it was very common to use sign language for babies. I sang and signed for them in sign language.”
Milly started developing it in Hebrew, and in the end, she got an offer and decided to produce the project in English.
Milly’s activity with Synctuition
Milly is also involved with Wellbe, a company that uses technology to promote wellbeing through methods such as relaxation, meditation, and personal reflection.
“I believed in their mission so much because it allowed people to see what meditation does. We worked with breathing, music, and meditation and participated in the 2017 Tokyo CEATEC event.”
These days Milly is working with “Synctuition”, an app that helps users relax and meditate through music. Today with everything that is happening, Milly believes that relaxation and meditation are more important than ever. “I strive to bring the Synctuition to the Japanese people as well,” says Milly.
With-Corona challenges
The pandemic has brought new challenges for people with hearing impairments. Social distancing makes it difficult to use eye contact and gestures; masks that are necessary for preventing the spread of infection covers the face and lips, making it difficult to read with facial expressions in communication.
“It is not a simple situation to deal with but there are also very creative solutions. There are now many courses that make themselves accessible with subtitles for deaf people who want to study. I had live courses that I interpreted in the process, in addition to subtitles and that's how we become more attentive and sensitive”.
Milly remains optimistic.
“This year I was at the beacon ceremony on the Israeli Independence Day May 14th.״ the Independence Day of the State of Israel includes performances by many artists, speeches, and of course beacon lighting by Israelis who have done extraordinary things in the past year.״ I went on stage in front of the whole country and had a huge sense of accomplishment.”
Milly’s part at 17:44
Music is a medium that connects people through joy, notes Milly. In the future, she wants to make concerts and events to be accessible to people of all abilities.
“I believe in embracing diversity, every one of us is unique and came to this planet to bring a voice that comes from the heart. When one manifests their dreams by creating new possibilities for others, our world will shine brighter.”
