Vibrating vests translate music for deaf concertgoers

NEW YORK

The violins reverberate in the ribcage, while cello and bass are felt a little further down, with horns in the shoulders and, more often than not, soloists in the wrists.

That's one way audio expert Patrick Hanlon programs haptic suits, designed to enable concertgoers who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience orchestral music, as initiatives to improve inclusivity at live music performances break new ground.

At a recent classical concert at Manhattan's Lincoln Center, audience members had the chance to try on the wireless vests, featuring 24 points of vibration translating the music onstage.

"It engages the body," Hanlon told AFP prior to the show, giving attendees a "3D-surround experience through vibrations."

Hanlon is a co-founder of Music: Not Impossible, an arm of Not Impossible Labs, which employs tech to try to alleviate social barriers, including those around disability.

Previous methods that deaf and hard of hearing individuals would use to enjoy live music included literally putting their hands on speakers, or holding a balloon to feel vibrations in their fingertips.

The aim of the vests - along with bands at the wrists or ankles - is to allow for a full-body experience, creating sensations that render the feelings music can evoke.

"Nobody expects it to be so engaging," Hanlon said of the vests. "And when you see it in people's eyes, it's magical."

Jay Zimmerman, a composer whose ability to hear was damaged due to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, says the vests are an example of new technology offering more flexibility and dynamism than had been available previously.

"My hope is down the road, is that we will be able to let deaf kids have experiences with real vibrations and real materials up close, so they start building this library of auditory memory even if it's not auditory through their ears, it's just different sensations," he told AFP.

"I think if we can put it all together, there's real opportunities for us."

Flavia Naslausky, the business head for Music: Not Impossible, described how during early testing, Mandy Harvey, a singer who lost her hearing after an illness, was able to match the sound of the music after feeling the vibration that translated it.

"That's when we knew that we were right on, because if somebody that wasn't hearing, from that vibration could match that note -- we were on the right direction," Naslausky said.

Music: Not Impossible's vests are not genre-limited. Hanlon explained audio leads like him can adjust the vibration points to fit a show's vibe, from rock to disco.

The vests have been used at Greta Van Fleet and Lady Gaga concerts.

Zimmerman is excited about the technology's potential but there's still a far way to go.