Embark on a journey with 'The Grateful Deaf,' a documentary exploring the groundbreaking movement of deaf music fans, from grassroots gatherings at Grateful Dead concerts to a national movement reshaping musical inclusivity.
Short Synopsis
Meet the Grateful Deaf, a community of deaf hippies that paved the way for musical accessibility for the deaf community. Follow the travels of the Deaf Heads as they embark on a journey to see the final act of Dead and Company, the music that shaped their lives, and forever changed live music for the deaf community. Witness the powerful ripple effect these pioneers have had on popular musical acts now embracing deaf fans, from ColdPlay to Metallica, to Eminem and Taylor Swift. This long strange trip began in peace, love, and music, but evolved into a movement that will forever be felt and heard.
The Story
George Martens, is a C.O.D.A. (Child of Deaf adult). He spent the first five years of his life living at the New York School for The Deaf where his father was the live-in dorm supervisor. Immersed in deaf culture from a very young age, ASL was George's primary language.
As a child, George traveled around with his family in a blue VW bus going to Grateful Dead shows. George’s Dad, “Big George”, is one of the pioneers of a group known as the "Grateful Deaf Heads," an amalgam of deaf hippies and disabled rights activists from across the country that helped pave the way for accessibility for music fans at venues around the country, through peace, love and persistence.
The first rumblings of a deaf zone happened in the late 80’s when Grateful Dead sound man Dan Healy, was approached by the Deaf Heads to see if they could get closer to the speakers and feel the vibrations. A simple gesture at a concert eventually transformed into protocol for the Grateful Dead & transformed into a recognized movement, and helped to pass a piece of the Americans with Disability Act, requiring venues to have official deaf zones and interpreters.
We also embark on a fascinating journey with the new generation of Deaf Heads, a vibrant wave of young trailblazing deaf music enthusiasts and interpreters, drawing inspiration from the groundbreaking Deaf Head pioneers. Together, they passionately embrace and redefine the realm of deaf music culture, transcending boundaries across genres such as pop, hip hop, alternative rock, and beyond.
The film follows this incredible group of hippies through the remarkable and curious history of a soundbreaking movement they built over the last three decades known as the “Deaf Heads.” The Deaf Head gang head out on a cross-country road trip of the last tour of Dead and Company, picking up family and friends along the way, many of them integral players in the evolution of the Deaf Heads.
The Grateful Deaf is an intimate personal family story at the intersection of a historical movement for the deaf and disabled rights. It’s a powerful heart-warming personal tale of a young family enveloped in the world of 1960s hippy deaf music subculture, told through the eyes, signs, and good vibes of Deaf Heads.
Part “Little Miss Sunshine,” part “Last Strange Trip,” part “CODA,” The Grateful Deaf will be an epic, colorful, and wild ride, immersing you in the world of the Deaf music.
Told from a Deaf Lens
The Deaf Heads have occasionally been featured in magazines, news stories, and even touched upon in Scorsese's “Long Strange Trip”. But the story has always been the same, and very surface level. Deaf people go to concerts where an interpreter performs, and not much more. Grateful Deaf will tell the story from a deaf lens, delving deep into the evolution of deaf music culture, and the fight for accessibility, providing you with an immersive look into the fascinating visual and auditory experiences of the Grateful Deaf Heads.
Director’s Statement
“My Dad experienced a lot of prejudice being deaf from an early age, while just trying to do every-day normal activities. He loved going to Grateful Dead shows because that was one of the few places he wasn't treated like that. People wanted to talk and communicate. There was peace, love, and music.
Though this documentary follows many people who are deaf, this isn’t a film just about deafness and the deaf community. This is a personal story about how a small seemingly powerless and outcast group of people can affect massive change in society through a simple, but powerful idea. An idea that reverberated and touched millions of people who connected with one another, despite all of their differences. This music brought together a movement, and sparked radical change throughout the music world.”
The Deaf Heads
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Paddy Ladd
Paddy Ladd is an English Deaf scholar, author, activist, and researcher of Deaf culture. He was involved in the genesis of the Deaf Zone and is an expert in the history of the group of people who helped fight for access.
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Jeff Rosen
A longtime attorney and advocate for Deaf, Civil, and Human Rights, Jeff Rosen is a huge Grateful Dead Fan. Jeff was appointed by President Obama to be chairperson of the National Council on Disability.
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Terri Vincent-Otte-Bruc
Terri is a rookie of the Grateful Deaf. He touching story of how a free ticket to a random band she’s never seen, turned into a magically inspiring experience for her.
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Donnie Gibbons
Donnie is the Deaf Zone cordinator for the 2023 Dead & Company Summer Tour. He has intepreted hundreds of shows, and cordinated over 60 zoom concerts over the pandemic.
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Billy Seago
Billy is a Deaf theater professional and actor. He interpreted zoom shows for the Deaf Heads over the pandemic which lead to him securing a job as Dead & Company Tour Interpreter.
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George S. Martens
George has been a diehard Deadhead since the early 80’s. He has been integral in coordinating deaf zones in venues nationwide. He worked at the NY School for the Deaf for many years. He has two sons and a daughter and is retired with his wife in CT.
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Bob Lichtenberg
Bob serves as senior court program analyst for the Washington Supreme Court Deaf Interpreter Commission. He has a huge LP collection and a dedicated listening room that holds several systems. He is versed in the facinating science of sound and how the Deaf experience music..
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Mark Dorsey
Mark Dorsey is a counselor at a school for the deaf in California. For the “Fare Thee Well” the final Grateful Dead show, he coordinated with the stadium to set up the Deaf Zone to the fans’ specifications.
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Peter Shapiro
An Honorary Deaf Head, Peter Shapiro is the owner of the Capitol Theater and Brooklyn bowl venues. His venues are known for their great access for the deaf zone and played a key part in coordinating the largest Deaf Zone at Fare Thee Well.
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Dan Healy
Dan Healy is an audio engineer who often worked with the Grateful Dead. Hard of hearing and a C.O.D.A. himself, he helped to establish the very first Deaf Zone.
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Justina Miles
Justina Miles is a hard-of-hearing American sign language performer who became famous for signing Lil' Kim's "Crush on You". She recently became the first deaf woman to provide ASL interpretation during a Super Bowl halftime show. Besides signing, Miles is an athlete and won a silver medal at the Deaflympics. She's also a nursing student at Bowie State University.
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Amber Galloway Gallego
Amber Galloway Gallego is a renowned American sign language interpreter and advocate for accessibility in the entertainment industry. Gallego gained widespread recognition for her dynamic and expressive interpretation style, particularly in the realm of music festivals and concerts. She has worked with some of the biggest names in hip hop and pop music, including Eminem and Snoop Dog. She became a trailblazer in providing sign language interpretation at live events, ensuring that Deaf individuals could fully experience the joy of music and other performances. Gallego has also been an advocate for the standardization of sign language interpretation and has worked towards creating guidelines for quality interpretation services.
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Mark Levin
Losing his hearing at the age of three never slowed Mark down. Graduating from Columbia College Chicago in 2008 with a B.A. in Arts, Entertainment & Media Management, concentrating in Music Business, he has an all around passion for the music and entertainment industry. Mark works with D-PAN: Deaf Professional Arts Network (www.d-pan.org) and internationally renowned Deaf Hip-Hop performer Sean Forbes as a Content & Event Manager, Assistant Director of Film, Guitarist and many other roles.
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Max Maxey
Matt Maxey is a highly respected and influential deaf interpreter known for his significant contributions to bridging the communication gap between the Deaf and hearing communities. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Matt has been a trailblazer in the field of American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation. Diagnosed with profound hearing loss at an early age, he found his passion for ASL and began his journey as an interpreter, earning widespread recognition for his dynamic and expressive style. As the founder of DEAFinitely Dope, a platform that promotes inclusivity and accessibility in the music industry, Matt has worked with numerous artists and events, including collaborations with popular musicians like Chance the Rapper. Through his advocacy and impactful work, Matt Maxey continues to inspire and empower the Deaf community while breaking down barriers in the realm of entertainment and communication.
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Otis Jones
Otis Jones is a creator from Atlanta, Georgia. He is the only deaf person in his family and went to Berkmar High School, fully mainstreamed with an interpreter. Otis enjoys performing music with the art of ASL intertwined. Otis teaches ASL classes during his free time and has a passion for hearing people to learn ASL with respect and courtesy for the deaf community.
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Hands of Doom- ASL Rock
The Hands of Doom ASL Rock project is a Black Sabbath tribute band that incorporates signing into their performances. Paul Raci, the band's frontman and a veteran actor, is fluent in ASL and has many deaf friends. He decided to start the band when a video of him signing while performing a Black Sabbath song went viral. The band now performs in clubs, with 40 to 50 deaf people showing up to watch them perform Sabbath's music, complete with Raci's signing.
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Giovanni Maucere
Giovanni Maucere has a MA in Linguistics and is committed to bridging the worlds of music and ASL as a Deaf performer and instructor of the craft. He is very passionate about giving back to the deaf community, and, he continues to find ways to spread awareness of ASL, Deaf culture, and the Deaf community to the world.
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Jillian Deaton
Jillian Deaton, also known as Jillian Valentine on TikTok, recently gained viral fame for her captivating American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. The 30-year-old, now based in New York City, has been professionally interpreting ASL since 2014, with her interpreting education at Phoenix College. Jillian, describing her alter ego, Valentine, as a more outgoing and confident persona, expressed her love for Taylor Swift's music, having first discovered it at the age of 13. As a seasoned interpreter, she has worked on various shows, including performances by Paul McCartney and "Hamilton."
THE RIPPLE
The world of live music has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, thanks to the increasing awareness and inclusion of deaf concert goers. What started as a pioneering initiative by iconic bands like the Grateful Dead has now created a ripple effect across various genres of music, including pop, hip-hop, and other genres.
Since then, numerous famous musical acts, such as Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Chance the Rapper, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Metallica, Ed Sheeran, and others, have followed suit. They have embraced the idea of providing sign language interpreters on stage, establishing dedicated "deaf zones" with optimal visibility and proximity to the stage and speakers, recording albums and music videos in ASL, and implementing innovative technologies like wearable haptic vibration suits to enhance the concert experience for those with hearing impairments.
This remarkable shift in the music industry reflects a growing recognition of the importance of inclusivity. Artists from diverse genres are actively seeking ways to make their concerts more accessible and enjoyable for all fans. The impact has been far-reaching, as the inclusion of the deaf community has become a defining characteristic of concerts across different musical genres.
Who We’ve Worked With
Meet the Team
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George R. Martens II
Director
George Martens runs Sip Studios in Jersey City, NJ - a creative incubator studio and facility that is home to various start up and creative ventures. He is a filmmaker, UX/UI designer, & business manager who has worked in the industry for over 10 years. He is a specialist in start up culture and has helped various filmmakers and creators achieve their vision. His film, Juniper, made an international film festival run was nominated for 6 awards and took home 4 including 3 best scifi short awards. He has never gone on a cross country roadtrip.
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Jonathan Schienberg
Producer
Jonathan Schienberg, co-founder of Perimeter Pictures, is an accomplished documentary filmmaker who has produced and directed award-winning films for PBS, National Geographic Channel, and CBS News. He has worked on documentary projects such as Iconic America, Nat Geo Explorer, and Years of Living Dangerously, which won an Emmy Award. Schienberg's work as a multimedia producer and writer has been featured in The New York Times, PBS's "Frontline," and CNN. His film Colossus was nominated for an Imagen Award, and his short film Yulisa premiered at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and screened at the 2022 Palm Springs International Film Festival.
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Paul Raci
Executive Producer
Paul Raci is an Oscar nominated actor best known for his role as Joe in the Sound of Metal (2020) directed by Darius Marder, starring opposite Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke. Paul was born and raised in Chicago by Deaf parents and is fluent in American Sign Language. While in Chicago, he honed his acting chops at the local theaters and was a founding member of The Immediate Theater Company, where he was nominated for a Jefferson Award for their production of Children of a Lesser God. He also trained at Second City and has worked with several improvisation companies.
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DJ Kurs
Consultant
DJ Kurs became the Artistic Director of Deaf West Theatre in 2012. He has produced several award winning plays and musicals, including Spring Awakening, which he shepherded from its beginnings as an intimate 99-seat theater production in Los Angeles before it went on to Broadway, earning multiple Tony Award nominations. Kurs sees his role at Deaf West as integral to his continued advocacy and activism within the Deaf community.
Contact us.
George Martens
george@sipstudiosjc.com
917-750-1714