The newest addition to the Bywater’s Music Box Village gives members of the Deaf community the chance to show the rest of the world how they experience sound.
“Elevator Pitch” is a new structure in the collective village of tiny houses that double as instruments.
Photo by Matthew Hinton
“People often say Deaf culture is quiet and that idea is gross,” said sound artist Christine Sun Kim. “We’re really loud people. I want people to leave and get a little taste of our culture. Our culture is full of sound.”
Sun Kim collaborated with New Orleans Airlift and musician Rick Snow to create the elevator structure. Buttons you can press (like floor buttons in an elevator) will feature the voices of 13 people of the local Deaf community.
The term “Elevator Pitch” takes on totally new meanings in the new space. For many people who can hear, the elevator is a quiet, awkward space. But Sun Kim explained the elevator is a big part of Deaf culture and is instead place where people like her can be as loud as they want.
“For Deaf people, they love that,” she said. “They scream, they love the vibration and the volume. So, I really want to flip it around.”
Members of New Orleans Airlift, which is an artist-driven initiative, helped lead the recording sessions for those whose voices are featured in the house.
“I’m a singer,” said Leah Hennessy, Producer at New Orleans Airlift. “So it’s been fascinating for me as someone who has thought a lot about how my voice works and how much it is connected to my ear, to shift my thinking through this process, and to learn more about vocalizations from our Deaf participants, some of whom have no idea how their voice sounds. Our team learned so many things about Deaf culture, and different types of sign language.”
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Hennessy said the addition of the elevator serves multiple purposes. As the village expands, new parts of structures are filling up a second floor of the venue. The elevator will serve as a way to get performers that floor faster. But, the structure also serves as a way to be more inclusive to people who experience sound in different ways.
“New Orleans is such a sonic landscape; it’s really rich in detail,” Hennessy said. “I think by opening our doors to the Deaf community we can learn more about sound. Sound can be perceived just through the feeling of vibrations. Sound can be represented through lights. There are many ways that we could be changing what we do here to be more inclusive. We’re still a fairly young site, and a fairly young organization, as we continue to grow we’re attempting to be more inclusive.”
Photo by Matthew Hinton
The addition is also being presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center as part of their Year of Music.
“Over the last couple of years, since knowing Christine, it’s helped me appreciate sound so much better,” said Adriel Luis, a curator at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. “In some ways, when you can just hear sound, you don’t have to think about it any more after you hear it. But Christine’s work is about the fact that there’s so much more to sound and music when you have to think about it in other ways besides what just comes into the ears.”
New Orleans as a whole puts sound and music center stage.
“I think that New Orleans is a place where even without hearing the music you taste it, you feel it, you get the vibe from people, you see it in all the visuals,” Luis said. “For Christine, as a sound artist to come here, I thought was just a really perfect match. Especially coming into the Music Box Village where people don’t just come here to close their eyes and hear, right? It’s a multi-sensory experience, so we thought we could add some complexity to that multi-sensory experience with this perspective.”
Christine Sun Kim is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow, center, called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. ‘Tru Biz’ on the doors is slang in American Sign Language that means ‘seriously! I mean it!’ Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim, left, is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow, second right, called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Adriel Luis, second left, with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy, center, and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin, right. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim, pushing button, is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow, background left, called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow, center, called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. ‘Tru Biz’ on the doors is slang in American Sign Language that means ‘seriously! I mean it!’ Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow, right, called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim, right, is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Participants can also scream or sing into a microphone to make their own vibrations like the interpreter is doing for Kim at left. Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin, speaking at center. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim, second right, is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin, signing at left. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin, speaking at right. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Christine Sun Kim, left, is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
People wave their hands in the deaf symbol for applause after a speech by Christine Sun Kim. Kim is an American sound artist who has been deaf since birth, and has created an art installation in collaboration with Rick Snow called ‘Elevator Pitch.’ Kim says in her artist statement that ‘this performance is created to ritualize deaf kids’ instinctive response to contained spaces that return sensory feedback.’ The piece mimics screaming into an elevator or other confined spaces and feeling the vibrations from the metal walls and from the floor. There are recordings of thirteen deaf participants from Louisiana that range from low pitch to high pitch that literally vibrate off the walls of the piece and chimes and bells that vibrate the floor. Adriel Luis with Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center helped bring the piece to the Music Box Village in New Orleans represented by producer Leah Hennessy and co-founder and artist director Delaney Martin. Photo taken on the opening night of the installation in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
People play with the Delphine horn machine on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
People play with the Delphine horn machine on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Sean Carroll plays in the Chief’s House of Big Chief Darryl Montana of the Yellow Pocahontas Mardi Gras Indians on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
A woman plays in the Resonant Memory percussion porch on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
David Welch plays on the Drum Rose and Junkit that mimics a drum set with various pieces of junk including a wheel barrow and trash can on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box
Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. A button marked ‘David’ is one of the screaming voices that can be heard in the ‘Elevator Pitch’ art piece as one of the deaf voices of Louisiana. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Grace Graugnard, left, who has cochlear implants, and Alex Acheson play in the PitchBo House that makes noise by sliding doors and shifting floors on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Grace is one of the screaming voices that can be heard in the ‘Elevator Pitch’ as one of the deaf voices of Louisiana. A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person with severe hearing loss in both ears. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Grace Graugnard, left, who has cochlear implants, and Alex Acheson play in the PitchBo House that makes noise by sliding doors and shifting floors on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Grace is one of the screaming voices that can be heard in the ‘Elevator Pitch’ as one of the deaf voices of Louisiana. A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person with severe hearing loss in both ears. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Alex Acheson plays in the Bower’s Nest that has many chiming instruments on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Grace Graugnard, left, who has cochlear implants, and Alex Acheson play in the PitchBo House that makes noise by sliding doors and shifting floors on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Grace is one of the screaming voices that can be heard in the ‘Elevator Pitch’ as one of the deaf voices of Louisiana. A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person with severe hearing loss in both ears. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Grace Graugnard, left, who has cochlear implants, and Alex Acheson play in the Bower’s Nest that has many chiming instruments on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Grace is one of the screaming voices that can be heard in the ‘Elevator Pitch’ as one of the deaf voices of Louisiana. A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person with severe hearing loss in both ears. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Grace Graugnard, left, who has cochlear implants, and Alex Acheson play in the Bower’s Nest that has many chiming instruments on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Grace is one of the screaming voices that can be heard in the ‘Elevator Pitch’ as one of the deaf voices of Louisiana. A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person with severe hearing loss in both ears. Photo by Matthew Hinton
Grace Graugnard, left, who has cochlear implants, and Alex Acheson play in the Bower’s Nest that has many chiming instruments on the opening night of ‘Elevator Pitch’ at Music Box Village in New Orleans, La. Tuesday, May 21, 2019. Grace is one of the screaming voices that can be heard in the ‘Elevator Pitch’ as one of the deaf voices of Louisiana. A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person with severe hearing loss in both ears. Photo by Matthew Hinton
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