The Score | “Deaf and Loud” in Detroit

The most salient fact from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s December 16 concert is not obvious from photos: the performance was tailored for the deaf community and featured deaf musicians onstage. Percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, jazz/pop singer Mandy Harvey, and hip-hop artist Sean Forbes were among the soloists performing at the “The Deaf and Loud Symphonic Experience”—a benefit concert for the Deaf Professional Arts Network, a Detroit non-profit co-founded by Forbes with Detroit music producer Joel Martin. The concert, conducted by Sly5thAve, was given in American Sign Language, with lyrics for each song appearing on large video screens. “The DSO prides itself on being the most accessible orchestra on the planet, so we were eager to collaborate on the very first Deaf and Loud Symphonic Experience,” said Erik Rönmark, the DSO’s vice president and general manager. He described it as a “one-of-a-kind event with outstanding musicians who happen to be deaf,” but noted in the Detroit News that he hoped it might lay the groundwork for a future series.