Lines in d/Deaf Singing

Why does the Song Signing Conflict in Japan Occur?

Abstract

This paper discusses the conflict between d/Deaf and hearing people over song signing performances in Japan. Focusing on the domain of music and taking into account the diversity within the deaf category (i.e., congenital, late-deafened, and hard of hearing), the paper addresses the following theoretical questions: What is singing for the d/Deaf, and how does it differ from hearing? With an emphasis on the kinetic lines in sign language, I refer to cultural anthropologist Tim Ingold's discussion on line and perception and introduce his perspective of “the process of line creation in correspondence to the environment in the all-sensory perceptual experience.” I propose the possibility of considering d/Deaf singing as an orientation to the process of kinetic line creation itself. I conclude that the lack of such a perspective on line creation is one of the main causes of the musical problems of the song signing conflict.