She's Been Interpreting at Music Festivals For 10 Years and She Kills It
This #Legend signs music for deaf concertgoers. Interpreter Holly Maniatty puts it this way: “In that 3 minutes and 20 seconds that that song is happening, those 10,000 people are potentially feeling pretty much the same thing,” adding, “You have to approach [the songs] with as much respect as you approach American Sign Language.” Holly has interpreted at music festivals for over 10 years, but she got noticed in May 2017 at New Orleans Jazz Fest after a video of her signing for Snoop Dogg went viral. ASL relies on emoting and body language, which makes it easier to translate tense exchanges - great for rap songs like Jay-Z’s “99 Problems”. An hour-long show can require up to 50 hours of preparation. She often has to do historical and regional research into the songs she’s signing for to make sure that her interpretations are authentic. Holly’s main goal is to share an experience with other people. Keep on rockin’, Holly.