Making Music Accessible for All
One American Sign Language interpreter, Deb Moul, is changing the concert experience for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing attendees.
Sign language interpreter Deb Moul, of Hellam Township, works during ‘Let Freedom Ring,’ a 9/11 tribute concert, at the York Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019.
You might have been one of the tens of thousands who attended a concert at the York State Fair this past summer.
If so, you were paying the most attention to the band you went to see, but did you notice the woman sitting off to the side of the stage, communicating with her hands?
That woman is Mrs. Deb Moul, a staff member at Dallastown and a nationally certified ASL interpreter. ASL (American Sign Language) is the primary language of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community.
Moul, a hearing individual, was born to Deaf parents and was raised with ASL as her primary language. Throughout childhood, Moul was her parents’ interpreter, so when the time came to choose a career, she chose what was most familiar to her.
Being a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) Moul wasn’t required to have a college education to become an interpreter, but over the years she has taken many interpreter workshops as well as written and performance tests to become a Nationally Certified Interpreter.
This allows her to be a freelance interpreter and interpret in the community for deaf adults in settings like medical, job training, conferences, and concerts. She also took the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) to become a Certified Educational Interpreter.
In her early 20s, Moul began working freelance and then was hired by LIU#12.
LIU stands for Lincoln Intermediate Unit; they provide educational services to Adams, Franklin, and York counties in the areas of Adult Education, Business Services, Language Instruction, Educational Services, Special Education, and Educational Technology Services.
Her first job with the LIU was at Dover Area School District, and not long after, she came to Dallastown in the field of educational interpreting. This means Moul moves around with Deaf and/or Hard-of-Hearing students in their daily activities.
“I attend classes with Deaf students to ensure that they have access to what’s being taught and can easily communicate with their teachers and peers,” Moul says.
Moul has been working at Dallastown for 27 years, but about 22 years ago, the York Fair contacted her looking for a replacement concert interpreter.
She accepted the position and now, at every concert during the annual 10 day fair, she can be found on stage with the performing artist. At first, she only interpreted for country music concerts and comedians, but today, she interprets for every show.
“[I] never know if there’s a Deaf person there or not,” Moul explains. Usually, if there are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing people in attendance, they make their way to the front, right in her line of sight, to let her know they are there.
She thinks it is pretty cool the York Fair offers the amenity of an ASL interpreter at all their concerts, without knowing if someone who will need it will be there.
“The York Fair has been really good to me and they always try to make sure that an interpreter is there. You never know if someone will need one,” Moul said.
As you can probably imagine, doing what Moul does is difficult, but thankfully, she has something that makes her job easier: headphones. Moul wears special headphones during concerts that give her solely vocals, while simultaneously blocking out the music from the instruments so she has no problem hearing what she should be interpreting.
However, some styles of concerts make it hard for her headphones to do their job.
“Rock concerts are challenging,” Moul says. Often, the music is so loud it will leak through her headphones and make it difficult to distinguish the song’s lyrics.
It is in times like these that Moul’s pre-concert preparations are vital to her performance.
When she receives the fair’s concert lineup, she’ll look up the artist’s typical concert playlist. She then listens to the songs to familiarize herself with the lyrics so when she’s on stage, she knows what to expect.
“In the early days, I would get really scared to interpret the rock concerts. I don’t really listen to that type of music, but many of the rock artists were very kind and helpful,” Moul said.
One of Moul’s most memorable experiences interpreting at a concert was when a Dallastown student was in attendance. Deaf can feel the vibrations of the music, but it “felt good to be giving them the words,” Moul said.
Since Moul has to be on stage, she gets a special backstage pass for every concert she interprets, but she does not always get to meet the performer.
“Some bands will come in and don’t want anything to do with anybody else there. It depends,” Moul says, “The comedians are very friendly. It just depends on who they are.”
Moul’s favorite concert she has ever interpreted is either Trace Adkins or Jason Aldean with her favorite comedian being Jeff Foxworthy.
Her least favorite concert would have to be American Idol contestant Clay Aiken.
Aiken refused to send his direct vocals through her headphones because he was worried they would record his music. Moul found this odd since he was a special education teacher pre-American Idol. That night, people were there who needed her interpreting, so it was frustrating.
Miss Hollie Knovich is also an Educational Interpreter here at Dallastown and has known Moul for 22 years. Knovich has attended two York Fair concerts where Moul has interpreted and loves watching her do what she loves.
“I love seeing her there because then I know that it is open to all people when they come to concerts and the York Fair. She always does a great job even if she is having trouble hearing or knowing what is going on. Mrs. Moul is always out there supporting The Deaf and their culture,” Knovich says.
Moul has been a great help to lots of people, and an inspiration to many.
“Mrs. Moul has inspired me and is always willing to help me when I need it when interpreting.” — Hollie Knovich
“I know many Deaf people over the years have gone to concerts that may have not gone because they know she will be there. It is always great to see everyone come together in one place. Mrs. Moul has inspired me and is always willing to help me when I need it when interpreting. She lived with Sign Language her whole life…me only about 22 years. So, I always look at her as a great reference and as a great friend,” Knovich states.
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