Today’s First Reading from Isaiah is quite an image: the ears of the deaf will be cleared and the tongues of the mute will sing.

But how do we learn how to sing? By listening—through which we learn to match pitch and create dynamics and blend with other singers.

This is particularly important in an age that bombards us with constant sound: loud music, jackhammers, traffic, jet planes overhead, you name it. As we age, our hearing suffers from this endless onslaught unless we are very careful to protect it. Many choirs suggest that singers not cheer loudly at their children’s games, for instance, lest they injure their voices. But how many singers are cautious about their hearing? I don’t even mow the yard without good ear protection, and I stay away from loud concerts. (If your ears are buzzing, that indicates damage!)

I don’t know whether you’re familiar with the TED talks, but the one by the world-renowned Scottish percussionist Evelyn Glennie is worth checking out:
http://www.ted.com/talks/evelyn_glennie_shows_how_to_listen.html

Glennie, who plays percussion in bare feet, lost nearly all her hearing by 14. Her pungent speech is clear as a bell because of having a hearing childhood, and what she has to say about listening is, uh, an eye-opener.

More and more churches are providing ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters during Mass, so that deaf people can participate more fully. Such interpreters can also sign the music—well, the lyrics, in the song’s rhythm—but it’s not something to ad lib. If your community has interpreters available, make sure they have a folder in advance with each week’s music, and a “road map” of what will be done: e.g., three verses of this hymn for entrance; repeat the psalm refrain twice, and so forth.

It’s all about helping people truly listen: deaf people and hearing people.