Mark Levin: What it’s like to be Deaf in an industry that’s loud

There’s one question I frequently ask myself before I head off to a gig, and rarely will I actually admit that I think this way;

“Am I going to be able to do this?”

After a minute or two of self-deliberation I follow it up with a quick self pep talk – “We’re doing this. We’re going to get through this”.

Since high school I knew I wanted to work in the music industry. The question was always “how?” I knew as an individual with hearing loss that I had my odds stacked against me, but there was no way I was going to let that stop me.

As I started my journey pursuing a degree in college for Entertainment Management with a focus on Music Business, I faced many of the expected barriers.

There were the numerous individuals who tried to knock me down by telling me I was foolish for trying to pursue a “hearing career”, support counselors saying I was “setting myself up to fail”, and some classmates chalking up my pursuit as unrealistic.

Being the stubborn individual I am, that was all fuel to my fire. I was fortunate that on the other end, I received a lot of support from my family, friends, educators, and mentors alike.

After graduating I joined D-PAN and helped grow music accessibility, toured as a guitarist with Deaf hip-hop performer Sean Forbes, worked as a tour & road manager, been part of a team that’s filmed over 25 music videos, worked countless large-scale music festivals across the U.S. for 13 years, and currently I work for Live Nation at a venue, and frequently work with national tours helping them run their concert VIP programs and artist meet and greets.

My hearing loss journey began at 3 yrs old, and as ingrained as I’ve been with the Deaf and ASL community, ironically, I’ve feel like I’ve learned more about hearing loss and what it means, through my journey in music. I’m not talking in terms of identity, but more so about what “hearing” actually is.

Some things I’ve learned through various experiences is how psychological hearing actually is, how others rely on it, and that hearing people often think hearing is something that is only done with their ears.

I’ve noticed that outside of the Deaf, sign language, and general disability community, I’ve found that one industry that tends to be pretty receptive about hearing loss is the music industry.

Not necessarily that it’s an industry that is 100% welcoming, but it’s an industry where people are generally receptive and willing to be understanding. I believe this is because many individuals in this field either have varying degree of hearing loss themselves or know someone with hearing loss.

The main difference though is these are individuals with little or no connection to the Deaf community, and they are learning how to navigate the world themselves. For many of them it’s scary, and rightfully so.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, for me – it’s not hearing loss that scares me – it’s the reality that I’m surrounded by people that rely on their ears, and think that in loud, noisy environments, their ears are the most important tool.

No doubt there are definitely some roles where it is an important and key function of responsibility such as with audio engineers. There are many roles in this industry, and as we tackle the stereotypes of our abilities, and move through the ranks of this ever-changing industry, we’re our own best advocates.

So as I tell myself, “We’re doing this, we’re going to get through this”, here are a few additional things I’ve learned that you can apply to any industry that may be hearing dominated.

• People are more accommodating if we’re up front about our strengths and weaknesses. More often that not they’re the one that broaches the subject if they’re unsure if they’re doing/not doing enough to provide accessibility. Superiors and co-workers WANT to help. We’re all part of the same team. This leads me to the next part –
• Be honest with yourself and others about your capabilities, but also be confident. Personally, I am my own worst enemy. I have doubted my own capabilities when others around me had no doubt in my ability to achieve. If you were hired for the job, they believe you can deliver the results. Run with that. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, but also step out of your comfort zone because most importantly it will allow you to realize how much you truly are capable of.
• Utilize your own superpowers. I know this sounds silly but there are many advantages with being Deaf, and for every industry they vary. The music industry is LOUD. Hearing people struggle to hear radio calls and conversation and rely so heavily on their ears. I make sure I understand exactly what it is that I’m being tasked to do. I’m compensating by reading body language, I’m using my eyes not my ears, I’m extremely alert and conscious of my weaknesses that I’m not focusing on what I can’t do. Worst-case scenario, I have my phone, or pen and paper at the ready in case it’s needed.

I’ve been very fortunate that my path in this industry has led me to some amazing co-workers, teachers, and mentors. When I started in this industry, interpreters at concerts and festivals were a pipe dream.

Now, at festivals, I’m not only able to request interpreters for work meetings, but have options for which acts I’d like to see interpreted. My journey has had many rough patches, lots of frustrations and swearing, but I tackle each gig knowing that it’s a learning process, and that I’m not alone.

I don’t think there has been a better time in history than now to be an individual with hearing loss. Accessibility (while far from perfect) is growing. Acknowledgement and acceptance of hearing loss is more widespread.

The visibility of talent in a wide range of industries is high, and opportunities for us have been opening up. For a large part of our community’s documented history we were pigeonholed to a certain set of jobs and skills, but these days you can find us in almost every industry, and that is awesome.

No doubt we still have a long way to go, but it is up to US as individuals and as a community to break into these industries and create the changes we want to see.

Losing his hearing at the age of three never slowed Mark Levin down. Graduating from Columbia College Chicago in 2008 with a B.A. in Arts & Entertainment Media Management, Mark has worked in numerous sectors of the music & entertainment industry. He is an active musician, DJ, Poet, and performer. In addition to working alongside Sean Forbes and DPAN.tv, he has a passion for inspiring others and changing the worlds perception of the ever growing talents of the Deaf community. To learn more about Mark and see his past work, you can visit his website here.