On the Beat of Silence (Surdodum Project)
ana lucia da silveira soares*
uma pessoa com sapatilhas realizando um salto ou pirueta espetacular.
Dysacousis is a hearing disturbance, a loss of the hearing ability to
a lesser or greater degree; it may be temporary or permanent, stationary or progressive.
According to Davis & Silverman in Russo e Santos (1993),
hearing loss may be classified according to its degree as slight, moderate, severe, and acute. Individuals suffering from slight, moderate, and severe hypoacousis are often referred to as hearing
impaired, while those suffering from acute hearing loss (a large contingent assisted under the Surdodum Project) are called deaf, the
term they prefer.
According to World Health Organization — who, hearing
loss affects 10 percent of the world’s population. The deafness
ratio is 1:1000 in developed countries and 4:100 in underdeveloped
countries. Data published by the National Coordinating Office for
Integration of the Handicapped — corde of the Ministry of Justice,
show that over two million Brazilians suffer from hearing loss in
different degrees (Claudia Magazine Dossier, 2002). This growing
number is a result of the lack of primary policies. Until prevention
comes to be significantly practiced in our country, we must develop
social and pedagogical strategies to minimize the consequences of
this handicap.
On the Beat of Silence (Surdodum Project) ana lúcia da silveira soares
Impairment does not mean incapacity. All of us are incapable
of performing numerous tasks and often forget our own limitations
but fail to make our daily conduct more efficient. Individuals who
are subject to physical and sensorial differences often see themselves forced to live in the “ordinary” world that was built by
and for other people whose needs and resources are different from
theirs. These restrictions imposed by the majority usually and mistakenly label these other people as “deficient” or “nonefficient”.
The discourse about the deaf throughout history (covering many
battles, including victories and defeats) has undergone successive
changes. Pedagogical and social initiatives must be emphasized,
taking into consideration the deaf’s own concepts and aspirations.
It is our goal, through music, to reverse this exclusion situation in which the deaf still find themselves in and to seek to
mold and build their identity as affective and effective participants
in society. “All human beings are born with the specific language
mechanisms of their species develop normally independently from
any racial, social, or cultural factor.” (Sanchez, 1990). The point
of departure for the Surdodum Project is music, this universal language understood by all peoples. Surdodum aims at proving and
making possible an outlet through art as well as promoting respect
and acceptance of the infinite human diversity.
The Project’s History
The Surdodum project originated in 1995 in view of the growing
A dança é fruto da necessidade
pessoa
e seand
liga from
ao the desire to ensure
incidence de
of expressão
deafness indaour
country
que há de básico na natureza
desejos,
that the humana:
deaf will sentimentos,
be more respected
andrealilead a more productive life
dades, sonhos, traumas,
das formas
mais diversas.
Quantas
in através
our society.
Its original
impulse was
the success achieved with
vezes a dança é utilizada
contar,
ilustrar,
representar
locali- and Language Educathepara
students
of the
Ludovico
Pavoni eHearing
zar a história de um povo,
uma —
civilização,
de uma época? São
tionaldeCenter
ceal.
indubitáveis sua importância eThe
signifi
cação. of
Falemos,
porém,
lin- individuals aged 13
purpose
the project
is da
to allow
guagem da dança habilitando
a pessoa
com
a vida,
and over
enrolled
in defi
the ciência
Federalpara
District’s
Public School System —
a dança como instrumento
facilitador
percepção
de loss
que oofindise-subep-df
whodasuffer
hearing
different types and intenvíduo faz parte finalmente
ou novamente
– de lessons
uma sociedade.
sity to– participate
in guitar
and in a percussion band. The
Nossa imaginação e lembrança
logo se colocam
buscando reproject makes
possible atentas
their integration
into society through a
gistros internos e externos que justifiquem a proposição. Seria uma
proposta paradoxal? A memória nos fala que um corpo contemplado para a dança é próximo da ‘perfeição’ previamente determinada
116 | 117
de suas formas. A imagem
quase imediata que nos vem à cabeça é
pedagogical and cultural process. It develops rhythm and body
responsiveness, ludic activities, and spurs linguistic development.
Currently, 20 students participate in the project, which has also the
special participation of four volunteer, hearing musicians: percusuma
sapatilhas
um salto ou
pirueta keyboardespetacusion pessoa
teachercom
Reinaldo
Braz,realizando
bassist Alexandre
Gregorio,
lar.
ist Augusto Souza, and guitarist and composer Arnaldo Barros.
“As participation in the Surdodum is an extra-curricular activity, participants must have good grades and finish their studies.
Thus, none has flunked his/her grade and three of them are now in
college.” (Claudia Magazine Dossier, 2002).
The project has steadily grown since its beginnings. To allow
participating students to become professionals, plans call for establishing a Little Surdodum (for children aged 8-12), which will stress
rhythm stimulation to help speech, and a Surdodum Workshop, at
which the students themselves will share with other communities
what they have learned through Surdodum.
Silence is music also
A singer often changes the quality of the voice through hearing
but he must also do it through appropriate technique, using precise movements. In the case of the hearing-impaired, the task is
more detailed and any existing hearing residue (hearing threshold
still present) as well as a keener visual and vibratory defense are
stimulated.
The teaching method emphasizes body movements, as they
are the basic form of rhythmic expression. Gesture impulses are
used to give vitality to communication and to the musical rhythm.
The girls that participate in Surdodum sing not only with
their own voice (the tone is given through bodily expression and/or
vocally with sounds produced in a different manner typical of the
deaf) but also with their hands, in a spectacular ballet synchronized
with the band.
The musical pieces selected express somehow the deaf’s universe. First, the text is interpreted into the Brazilian Sign Language
—libras 1, then vocalization is practiced. The desired tone is shown
On the Beat of Silence (Surdodum Project) ana lúcia da silveira soares
through graphs that visualize high, middle, and low notes. The
modulation of musical notes is given by a hearing person, as the
students do not have the acoustic feedback required for singing.
In percussion, the rhythm is emphasized. But to begin the
music’s rhythm, one must develop well the body’s rhythm, which
is essential to exacerbate the deaf person’s musical sensibility.
Every attitude or movement has its own rhythmic tempo, i.e.,
the duration of a movement from one point in space to another.
Rhythm consists in successive movements; it has a quantity and a quality that is related, during the movement, to intensity and loudness.
Rhythm is present in every human being, from conception
to birth, both in the heart beat and in breathing. On the basis of
specific visual data, analogies are established, which will provide a
basis for the student’s entire rhythmic work.
Because of hearing impairment, breathing, balance, vocal
and bodily relaxation, and phonation are clearly deficient or uncoordinated. To facilitate the learning process, these elements are
stressed.
Breathing
To develop breathing dynamics, it is necessary to learn the correct
the manner and types of breathing, in addition to coordination of
lung and articulatory phonation elements. These aspects are developed individually through the practice of specific exercises.
A dança é fruto da necessidade
Balance de expressão da pessoa e se liga ao
que há de básico na natureza
humana:
desejos,
realiThis is the
basis ofsentimentos,
overall dynamic
coordination.
Other than reflectdades, sonhos, traumas,
dasotological
formas mais
Quantas
ingatravés
possible
and diversas.
psychological
problems, the lack of balvezes a dança é utilizada
para
contar,
ilustrar,Correct
representar
e localiance
affects
attention.
overall
posture depends on inner
zar a história de um povo,
de uma civilização, de uma época? São
balance.
indubitáveis sua importância e significação. Falemos, porém, da linguagem da dança habilitando
a pessoa com deficiência para a vida,
Articulation
a dança como instrumento
percepção itdeisque
o indiFromfacilitador
a phoneticda
standpoint,
possible
to make the movements
víduo faz parte finalmente
– ou
– de umaofsociedade.
needed
for novamente
the pronunciation
vowels and consonants. This
Nossa imaginação e lembrança
se colocam
atentas
buscando
re-speed of speech, vowel
dependslogo
on the
individual’s
muscle
tone, the
gistros internos e externos que justifiquem a proposição. Seria uma
proposta paradoxal? A memória nos fala que um corpo contemplado para a dança é próximo da ‘perfeição’ previamente determinada
118 | 119
de suas formas. A imagem
quase imediata que nos vem à cabeça é
resistance, and the integrity of the breathing, phonation, and articulation organs.
Relaxation
uma lack
pessoa
sapatilhas
realizando
um salto
pirueta
espetacuThe
ofcom
tension
is essential
for taking
theoumost
advantage
of
lar.
physical, psychic, and vocal possibilities. The basis is mental and
bodily relaxation, which will lead to total relaxation.
“More than breaking the difficult, physical sound barrier, Surdodum
breaks the prejudice barrier” (Jornal de Brasilia, December 1998).
Possibilities must be changed into achievements. Surdodum aims at
showing the breaking of barriers by deaf individuals who are often
underestimated because of their limitations and thus at changing
society’s erroneous stance, as well as encouraging the implementation of other projects aimed at people with special educational needs.
Students’ Statements
I think that music is important because of vibration. I manage to hear
a little with the help of a hearing aid. I have a keener sense of the
vibration that travels through my body and arouses the most incredible feelings in me.
luciana delforge
I like to play. Music has improved my life a lot. Since I began participating in Surdodum I feel that I am a much happier person.
mauricio martins
Music has helped me to grow. I want to go on playing and, if possible,
to become famous someday. Playing makes me feel alive.
rogerio oliveira
Working with music is perfect. I have learned a lot through Surdodum.
Music has helped me to release my voice and to lose my shyness.
andreia ferreira (Jornal de Brasilia, 1998)
On the Beat of Silence (Surdodum Project) ana lúcia da silveira soares
If I cannot speak with my mouth, / If I cannot identify a light sound,
/ I make use of what God has given me— / a gesture— / I lend myself
my hands.
arnaldo barros (Excerpt from the Surdodum lyrics libras)
* Phonoaudilogist and coordinator of the Surdodum project ([email protected]).
1 At a meeting of the National Federation for the Education and Integration of the
Deaf—feneis in October 1995, it was decided, by vote, that the acronym libras
shall be used whenever there is any reference to the use of the Brazilian Sign
Language.
Bibliography
estrnadová, vera, Como é ser surdo [What is it like being deaf], Portuguese translation by
Daniela R. Teixeira, Edited by the Czech Deaf Union, 1995.
quadros, r. m., Educação de surdos [Education of the deaf], Porto Alegre, Artes Médicas,
1997. Quadros, R.
santos, l. h. m. dos & Dias, m da g. b. b., Compreensão de textos em adolescentes surdos [Text
understanding by deaf adolescents], Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, Brasilia, v. 14,
no. 3, pp. 241-249, Sept H. -Dec. 1998.
soares, a. l. da s., A importância da tradução da língua de Sinais para Vestibulandos Surdos
na Compreensão de Textos vestibulares [The importance of translation into the sign
language for the understanding of exam texts by college admission entrance examination candidates], Monograph at the completion of the phono-audilogy course at
Cesubra College, 2001.
Excerpts from press articles on the Surdodum Project in Jornal de Brasilia and Claudia Magazine Dossier.
A dança é fruto da necessidade de expressão da pessoa e se liga ao
que há de básico na natureza humana: sentimentos, desejos, realidades, sonhos, traumas, através das formas mais diversas. Quantas
vezes a dança é utilizada para contar, ilustrar, representar e localizar a história de um povo, de uma civilização, de uma época? São
indubitáveis sua importância e significação. Falemos, porém, da linguagem da dança habilitando a pessoa com deficiência para a vida,
a dança como instrumento facilitador da percepção de que o indivíduo faz parte finalmente – ou novamente – de uma sociedade.
Nossa imaginação e lembrança logo se colocam atentas buscando registros internos e externos que justifiquem a proposição. Seria uma
proposta paradoxal? A memória nos fala que um corpo contemplado para a dança é próximo da ‘perfeição’ previamente determinada
120 | 121
de suas formas. A imagem
quase imediata que nos vem à cabeça é