Cochlear Americas is proud to sponsor Aid the Silent’s second annual Good Vibrations Music & Arts Festival (GVMAF) on September 29th in San Antonio, TX. Aid the Silent is a Texas-based nonprofit for the deaf and hard-of-hearing (HOH). The festival benefits Aid the Silent’s efforts to provide accessibility and equal access to opportunity for deaf youth.
A New Era in Hearing
Advances in technology are helping people hear like never before in many venues.
Cochlear’s innovations allow people of all ages hear their best, from True WirelessTM technology to Made for iPhone hearing devices, just to name a few. At the Good Vibrations Music & Arts Festival, everyone can experience the music, regardless of hearing ability, with real-time captioning; on-stage sign language interpretation; looping technology that transmits sound directly into hearing aid wearers’ devices; wearable audio technology that translates high-fidelity sounds into vibrations; an LED dance floor; and a visual sound wave board that is synchronized to the tempo of the music.
The Inspiration Behind Aid the Silent
Emma Faye Rudkin grew up with hearing loss that caused her to feel isolated and alone. She longed to feel like a “normal” kid. Although at times it was very hard, Emma Faye did not let hearing loss stop her.
She began studying piano, music theory, guitar, ukulele, singing and later learned the kickdrum. This all helped her prepare to compete in the Miss America pageant circuit in hopes of establishing a national platform for the deaf/HOH. She was crowned Miss San Antonio in 2015 and 2017.
Emma Faye started Aid the Silent in 2015 to advocate for equal opportunities and provide necessary resources for the deaf/HOH. The GVMAF is the natural product of Emma Faye’s love for music, and she even performs at the festival!
“Music is something I’ve always loved,” Emma Faye said. “I want people with hearing loss to be able to experience music with their entire body through vibrations and visual simulation. Through our events, we are able to give them this experience.”
Equal Opportunities for All Kids
Forty-eight million Americans have a significant hearing loss. According to the Center for Hearing and Communication, even a mild hearing loss can cause a child to miss as much as 50% of classroom discussion.1
Cochlear Americas firmly supports Aid the Silent’s mission to help deaf/HOH children to have the same opportunities to excel as their hearing peers through their Deaf Education Programs. These programs financially assist with educator enrichment and inclusion outreach by equipping educators with tools to promote growth and improvement in deaf/HOH children, and empowering the students with confidence, self-appreciation and respect.
The GVMAF will take place in San Antonio, TX on Saturday, September 29, 2018 from 1 p.m. – 11 p.m. Please stop by and visit the Cochlear booth if you attend! We’d love to meet you.
Learn more about the festival at https://goodvibrationsmusicfest.com/. For information on Aid the Silent, visit www.aidthesilent.org. Find more Cochlear inspirational stories at our Hear and Now blog.
Cochlear and True Wireless are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Cochlear Limited. iPhone and Made for iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
