The Enchanting Music of Language Film Review

ASL to Sound and Music The Enchanting Music of Sign Language is a short film signed by Christine Sun Kim who communicates in American Sign Language (ASL) throughout the entire film, and is accompanied by her translator Helsa Borinstein. This video was published in August 2015 by an organization called TED talk. According to their website “ TED talk is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Meanwhile, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in communities around the world. The film’s purpose is to engage the audience on the artist’s shift in perspective pertaining to the way that ASL and music correlates with one another. Christine explains in the video that “through her art, she discovered similarities between American Sign Language and music, and she realized that sound doesn’t have to be known solely through the ears, it can be felt, seen and experienced as an idea”. She explains a portion of the history of ASL, and gives some context on her upbringing. Sun Kim was born deaf and was brought up to believe that sound could never be a part of her life. She states that “As a Deaf person living in a world of sound, it's as if I was living in a foreign country, blindly following its rules, customs, behaviors and norms without ever questioning them.” She came to this realization shortly after she traveled to several museums and galleries abroad which did not include any visual art on display. Auditory art was trending at the time, and she quickly adapted to sound infiltrating her art territory. She was amazed to see the parallel between music and American Sign Language. I agree with the artist’s change in perspective. She challenges the audience’s perception of a deaf person’s ability to connect with sound. In the video, Sun Kim describes the musical notation of p which refers to a piano being “quiet and soft.” In her art, she suggests that there is sound to be heard no matter how soft it becomes. Sound is not only heard it can also be felt through vibrations. She says “ I like the feeling of speaker feedback and the growl of a car engine” and describes music as a “ghost”, something she knows is there, though she cannot describe it. Christina’s perception to sound oddly makes sense, the famous pianist and composer Ludwig Van Beethoven's musical ability supports this idea. He was able to create his own form of music although he was unable to hear. This film successfully achieved its purpose in engaging the audience on the artist's viewpoint on the correlation of music and ASL. Christine uses musical metaphors to justify the powerful elements of American Sign Language while comparing it to chords on the piano. Sun Kim says that “ ASL Unlike English, which is more of a linear language and can be related to one key on a piano, sign language is the combination of facial expressions, signs and body movements, and is more like a chord.” The use of imagery creates a deeper connection with the audience. It allows the audience to paint a picture in their minds, which is what she does when imagining what sound is. “It’s not deaf art, it’s just art” Christine Sun Kim is an artist who looks at the world from an unexpected perspective.