The Deaf Musicians

by Pete Seeger, Paul DuBois Jacobs, R. Gregory Christie (Illustrations)

Poor Lee! He used to be a jazzman who could make the piano go yimbatimba- TANG—zang-zang. But now he's lost his hearing, and the bandleader had to let him go. So Lee goes to a school for the deaf to learn sign language. There, he meets Max, who used to play the sax. Riding the subway to class, they start signing about all the songs they love. A bass player named Rose joins in and soon they've got a little sign language band. And in no time they're performing for audiences in the subway, night after night. Living legend and Kennedy Center honoree Pete Seeger, renowned poet Paul DuBois Jacobs, and Coretta Scott King honor winner R. Gregory Christie present a jazzy riff on the power of music, overcoming obstacles, and all the different ways to hear the world. So, who will listen to a deaf musician? Everyone!

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Disability, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 2006

About the author

Peter Seeger, better known as Pete Seeger, was a folk singer, political activist, and a key figure in the mid-20th century American folk music revival. As a member of the Weavers, he had a string of hits, including a 1949 recording of Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene" that topped the charts for 13 weeks in 1950. However, his career as a mainstream performer was seriously curtailed by the Second Red Scare: he came under severe attack as a former member of the Communist Party of the United States of America. Later, he re-emerged on the public scene as a pioneer of protest music in the late 1950s and the 1960s.

He was perhaps best known as the author or co-author of the songs "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?", "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)", and "Turn, Turn, Turn!", which have been recorded by many artists both in and outside the folk revival movement and are still sung throughout the world. "Flowers" was a hit recording for The Kingston Trio (1962), Marlene Dietrich, who recorded it in English, German and French (1962), and Johnny Rivers (1965). "If I Had a Hammer" was a hit for Peter, Paul & Mary (1962) and Trini Lopez (1963), while The Byrds popularized "Turn, Turn, Turn!" in the mid-1960s. Seeger was also widely credited with popularizing the traditional song "We Shall Overcome", which was recorded by Joan Baez and many other singer-activists, and became the publicly perceived anthem of the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement soon after musicologist Guy Carawan introduced it at the founding meeting of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1960.

Reviews

[Lauren Riviere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lee is the main character in this book but the other characters are Max, Rose and Ellie. The book was about Lee a jazz piano player who looses his hearing and then gets kicked out of his band. He then goes to school to learn sign language and he meets Max who plays the saxophone. They then practice together and meet Rose who brings in Ellie and they form an all deaf jazz quartet. I enjoyed this book because it showed that even though Lee was faced with loosing everything he cared about instead of just giving up he adjusted his life and what he knew and learned how to play differently. I would recommend reading this especially if my class has a deaf student in it.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book does a good job of conveying the feeling of playing jazz, and then how hard it could be for a musician losing his hearing and having to find a new path. I did not get a good feeling for what it would be like listening to, or just watching, the quartet that the deaf musicians form.

I think the book's heart is in the right place, and it is inspiring, but the execution is a little bit lacking.

[Caitlen Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest, after reading multiple times, I still do not understand how the characters "sign" the music. I understand signing lyrics or maybe signing the word for "G flat" but I do not understand how that connects to a band.
This book is about Lee, a musician who slowly becomes deaf and is kicked out of his band because of the loss of his hearing. Afterwords he goes to a deaf school where he quickly learns sign language and begins to sign on the subway with his friends. Realizing they can discuss music (somehow) they begin signing all their favorite songs. They add more and more members and become a hit. People stay on the subway just to see them go.
Now none of these writers are deaf and it shows. I think they had a cute concept but fumbled on the execution. I understand that the message was that "Being deaf doesn't mean that you are limited." However, the actual story didn't make enough sense. I also don't understand why an incredibly talented musician wouldn't be able to either feel the vibrations of his instrument. He should have a lot of muscle memory by now. Or he can't look over to what his friends are doing and guess from their positioning what type of sounds they are making? I do not get it.
One thing I will say about this book is its great onomatopoeia. The zing- ping bing-bang of it all is great. When you say it out loud it really does sound like a jazz piano. Even the saxophone's words evoke the same sound as a real sax. I think those fun sound words are what would make this story interesting to a kid. The plot needs all the help it can get

[Maggie Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was a great read. It provides students with a perspective they may not think about. It's interesting and eye opening for a child to realize that just because Lee can no longer hear does not mean that he can no longer be a musician. This lesson can apply to so many different things in children's lives and is a great lesson to learn. I also enjoyed the illustrations. I thought it was interesting how the new band that was formed did not have any actual instruments. I was confused by that fact, but I can see how it might symbolize how they aren't actually able to hear the instruments, but can still feel and play them. I think a little bit more explanation on that end would be important for students.

[Shelby Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was really special because it allows children to have the self confidence to do anything they put their mind to. Obstacles shouldn't stop them from doing what they enjoy doing, and I think that is the message children would get from reading this book.
Topics: overcoming obstacles, success, achievements, music, instruments, individuals with disabilities, hobbies, challenges, trying new activities, making new friends, joining new clubs.

[Samantha DeVoir · Rating 3 out of 5]

As some other reviewers noted, it is nice that this book is broadening the horizons of what is possible for readers. However, why couldn't they (the deaf musicians) have still played their respective instruments instead of pretending? It makes it seem as though you can't continue with music in a traditional way if you are not a hearing person and I disagree with that. Three people come to mind: Emmett, the deaf drummer on Switched at Birth (it is my understanding that he really is deaf), the deaf singer on America's Got Talent, and of course, Beethoven. So, I think this book could have been much better. The afterword was the best part of this book and the reason I gave it 3 stars. It ends with, "The real music is in people joining together."

[Elaina Albarado · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book could be a beneficial learning point for young children. The book is about a musician named Lee who is part of a Jazz band. Him and his band mates are starting to realize that Lee can not hear the notes correctly because Lee is going deaf. Lee gets kicked out of the band because the band manger says that nobody would listen to a deaf musician. Lee starts going to a school for the deaf where he relates to sign language reminding him of jazz music. At the school Lee meets Max another musician that is deaf. One day on the subway on the way home Lee and Max started to sign the music and they meet another musician named Rose who becomes part of their own band. The started to rehearse on the subway and realized the needed a singer. Rose's friend named Ellie became the singer because she was considered a sign-language interpreter. While rehearsing the other people on the subway started to watch and listen and everyone enjoyed their music. They decided to make it a regular occurrence and Lee was back to doing what he loved performing, with his own band and for bigger crowds than ever before. The way the author portrayed the deaf people in this book I really liked especially the main character Lee, he didn't feel sorry for himself or wish things were different. Lee instead adapted and found a new way to do what he loved. The illustrations in this book were also unique with the colors, and outlines of the characters. I think this book is definitely a good read for children to understand how unique sign language is but also shows students how to overcome adversity in a way and how to adapt to different situations.

[Hannah Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores the wonders of specific deaf musicians. Not being able to hear music seems like it might ruin music, but this book shows that it is quite the opposite. This book shows that even without hearing, a deaf person can just as much is a part of music as a hearing person. It explores the world of music and ends with an author's note on how even if a person cannot hear, they can still be a large part of music. The main character in this book, Lee, is the piano player in a band, and starts to lose his hearing. The band kicks Lee out because it is difficult for him to hear, he then goes to goes to a school for the deaf and learns sign language. At the school for the deaf Lee finds a friend named Max, who helps him get through his hard times.

The way the illustrations and text is presented in this book is how the reader is able to understand what Lee is going through. Not only does is have child friendly pictures, but many words are in different fonts and different colors, to accentuate the way it is supposed to be read. Which is also fun to look at when reading.

First off, this book would be great to use in a music class, because it teaches students that singing and playing instruments is not the only way to create music. Also a great affirming book for children that have no hearing. Great story line and sends a great message out to all children about treating people right even with their differences.

[Madeline Krasnasky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and the way that the author chose a character that had a wonderful life but everything was changed. I liked the blue tones colors that the illustrator uses because it relates the mood of jazz music. The book started with a positive mood but then became negative when Lee lost his hearing. Instead of dwelling in the negative mood, the story brought an uplifting event of meeting people who were alike and creating a new "normal." I personally am fascinated by sign language and would love to take a class to learn it so this book was very interesting to me. Being a former band member, I found it really interesting that the deaf musicians could make songs with just their hands and body movements. I love listening to music for the words and the emotion that the artist gives, however, I could never imagine getting the same response from a song that was signed. I like how this book brings attention to how deaf people enjoy everyday things such as music in their own way and still function as normal people in a city setting. I think this would be very important to teach children because even though some people are deaf, they can still enjoy the same things that hearing people enjoy, but just in a different way.

[Stephany Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pete Seeger and Paul Dubois Jacobs have written a fun book that shows what creativity can do in "The Deaf Musicians." Lee plays the piano, but is losing his hearing. Eventually, he cannot play with his band anymore because he cannot hear and follow them. He goes to a school for deaf people where he learns sign language. He meets Max who plays the sax and Rosie who plays the bass. They learn that the can play with sign language and follow each other. They can create something beautiful. Other people recognize the music they play and sing and dance along. This is a delightful book about overcoming a disability and bringing joy to others. The illustrations by R. Gregory Christie are colorful and bright, highlighting the bright smooth sounds of the jazz music being played. The sound words are written in large, colorful text as well to highlight the sounds being made. This is a fun book even to read to preschool children because of all the fun sounds in the book. This book teaches children that having a disability does not mean that you can not do what you love, it just means you have to be creative enough to find a new way of doing things.

[Kristen LeBlanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Deaf Musicians" was 2007's Schneider Family Book Award winner written by Pete Seeger and Paul Dubois Jacobs. The authors use onomatopoeia well to convey the sounds of various musical instruments throughout the book. "The Deaf Musicians" follows the story of a deaf musician, Lee, as he learns sign language and eventually joins a band with other deaf musicians. Lee gets let go from his job at the beginning of the story due to his losing of his hearing, and his boss even said, "Who would listen to a deaf musician?" Lee feels so lost until he meets Max, a saxophone player, who encourages Lee to take sign language classes. As Lee meets other deaf musicians, they play their music on the subway, "Each musician heard the music in his own mind." Lee feels welcome and the band does well playing their music with one another.

Gregory Christie illustrates "The Deaf Musicians" will colorful images that have warm tones, inviting scenes that are visually appealing, and are simplistic enough to help the reader know what is going on within the story. Seeger, Jacobs, and Christie created an informative book that showcases the individuality of a struggling musician who overcomes adversity to find others like himself. Lee finds a band that he can play his music with that actually appreciates his talent, even if others did not. Another great addition to a classroom library or read aloud story time that young children will enjoy if they like music, bright colors, and relate to the struggle of fitting in. It also plays homage to individuals who struggle with being deaf but shows that any situation can be overcome as long as support is there.

[Taylor Galloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a Jazz musician named Lee who starts to lose his hearing so he is kicked out of the band since he cannot play the right notes. Lee starts going to a school for the deaf where he learns sign language that reminds him of Jazz, and he meets another deaf musician named Max. Lee and Max start riding the subway together to and from school and one day they started to sign music back and forth. They continued to sign music each time they were on the subway, and they eventually meet more deaf musicians on the subway until they had an entire band. They would rehearse on the subway and people would even stop and watch. I enjoyed this story and felt like it would be great to use inside a classroom to teach students about sign language and how those who are deaf can still enjoy music. However, I still do not understand why this story did not include the characters playing real instruments instead of having them sign the music. I feel like the characters signing the music could be confusing for younger children to pick up on, because it was even a little confusing for me in the very beginning.

[Lauren Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Deaf Musicians" by Pete Seeger and Paul Jacobs depicts the story of a musician who loves playing the piano but is slowly losing his hearing and ultimately gets kicked out of his band. Then the man joins a class learns American Sign Language and meets a new group of deaf people who also love music. Together they start a new band and play for people in the subway. This book shows how one should not give up on their passions when faced with adversity and never let other people tell you what you are capable of. This book would work as a great teaching moment for children, showing that just because someone may be different from you does not mean they cannot do the same things. Furthermore, the book would be inspirational to deaf children encouraging them to try things they are interested in and not to let being deaf hold them back. Finally, this picture book would do an adequate job at maintaining a child's attention through the pictures and effective use of onomatopoeias.

[Alyccia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was a very fun read. This story is about a Hard Of Hearing musician named Lee who gets kicked out of band for being deaf and ends up going to a school for the deaf where he learns ASL meets some new friends and starts his own band of deaf musicians. I liked the language in the book and how the author used fun sound word to describe the way music sounded. I also liked the illustrations of this book, they were very colorful and diverse and followed along the story line very well. This story was also very engaging and had a rich but easy to follow plot with a problem and solution. Lee also had a very genuine and fun personality and was very relatable to kids, especially those with an inters in music. I think many children would enjoy this book because it gave them things to think about and to question as they rad along in the book.

[Madeline Conzett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to discuss differences and disabilities. In this book, the main character Lee is deaf, and this book examines some of the everyday struggles he might face because of this disability. He was kicked out of his jazz band because of this disability. This downfall shows the hard times people might experience for having a disability. Throughout the story, however, he meets other deaf people through the school he is going to for the deaf. Together, these characters he meets form their own band and play music. Lee is able to rediscover the passion he had for music although he is deaf. This is a great example of people overcoming their disabilities and continuing to do what they love. This book might be a bit confusing to students or young children if they do not have prior knowledge on this disability, however this can be talked about beforehand.

[Rachael Fricke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to really like this story. However, it is completely far-fetched. The author isn't deaf, so I don't fault him for not understanding, but he could have done some more research. In the story the main character loses his hearing and is let go from the band he played for. He then stumbles upon a deaf school where he finds other deaf musicians. Not all deaf people know sign language. And the fact that he just "learned" it is a little ridiculous. American Sign Language is a language, it takes years of learning, socializing with deaf people, practicing, and fine tuning before a user can become fluent. Therefore, that was a huge turnoff from the book. The message behind the book, that despite a "disability" you can still become what you want to become is still there, but for me it is over-shadowed by the lack of research on deaf schools and sign language prior to writing this book.

[Edna Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Deaf Musicians is a story about a young man whose name is Lee and who was a great jazz musician. He played the piano very well until his band leader notices that Lee is not performing well and is out of beat. He takes Lee off the band after many mistakes because he is losing his hearing. He then goes to a deaf school to learn ASL. There he meets Max who plays the sax. Later they meet Rose and learn ASL along with her. They make up a band and play night after night on the subway. I like how these young men and girl do not limit themselves because of their disability. Pictures look great with bright and dark colors. This story reminds me of myself. I never noticed how and when I lost my hearing in my left ear. I know I have my right rear to hear but both ears are necessary to hear good.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lee was losing his hearing and got let go from being a pianist in his band. The bandleader told him "Who will listen to a deaf musician?" This must've been a painful thing to go through, especially when you're someone who loves playing music so much. He went to a school for the deaf and learning sign language. He met other people at the school who played music. They learned how to play a song with Max. Over time, they made a band with others! They got a singer and a translator. One day, Lee saw his old bandleader. Lee reminded him of what he said to him a time ago. Lee proved him wrong, showing him how everyone listens to them on the subway!
The book gives readers a load of new information about people who are deaf, and an introduction to deaf music around culture. The author did a great job at showing the words of the music with onamonapias.

[Emily Krafcik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story with interesting and colorful illustrations. The message behind this story is a good one and it is important for young children to understand that a person with a disability may do some things differently, in the case with music. I think this text may be a little confusing for young children because Lee did not start out the story with a hearing impairment, he was playing jazz music with his band every night, so how did he become deaf? That is something I found a little confusing. I liked the use of onomatopoeia when it came to the different musical instruments. The illustrations were also very interesting and not like anything I have really seen before in the books I have read, very abstract! Cute story with a great message!

[Kraig Barth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet another great book about music! This book puts such a creative spin on the music world and how music can be made by anyone who feels that deep rhythm inside of them. The story is about a man who loses his hearing and becomes deaf. He was in a band, but after he couldn't hear anymore, his band did not want them. "Who wants to listen to a deaf musician?" At this point in the story the man begins to rise up and overcome his deafness, with the help of some new acquired friends and band members to become a successful band that played for bigger crowds than he had ever played for before. What a great story of triumph that this book has to offer. I would highly recommend this book to music teachers because it includes jazzy language and beats of rhythm. Great book overall!

[Kali Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lee was a musician and played the piano every night with his band. He played so well the crowd and band loved him. One night he was playing, and the sound was off, and Lee was not answering their notes. Lee was afraid to tell them, he could not hear their notes, he was losing their hearing. He went to the School of Deaf and learned sign language. He loved it, as the signs looked like his hands was dancing. Lee and his friend Max learned to play music, by listening to each other notes in their heads. I lady saw them on the subway and signed that she knew the song, they invited her to join them. They formed a ban and began to play all over, so who would come and listen to a deaf band, everyone

[Tyra Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great at displaying how jazz music sounds, all of the sound effects the author used I could vividly hear in my head. When Lee began losing his hearing his notes were off, he was no longer playing like "tang, zang, zang" but more like "ronk, fip, tonk." Lee's band could no longer cover for him and they had to let him go. Lee met four other deaf people and they made their own Jazz band through sign language and they heard all their songs in their minds. They were so good at what they did that tons of people would stop to watch them in the subway. This is a great book on inclusion and how people should never give up when obstacles get in their way, persevere and follow your dreams just as Lee and the other band members did!

[Sami Westrick]

Lee was a musician that played great jazz music once until he lost his hearing. Once he lost his hearing he had to be let go form the band. He went to deaf school to learn sign language. He met Max who played the Saxophone there. On the bus ride home they practiced their signs by signing their songs to each other. They learned sign language together through this and became close friends. This book uses sensory and touch to get through to readers. A good lesson to teach young students that no matter the situation , they can learn from it. This book shows great teamwork, and true friendship. I would rate this a 5 because it does good job of. detail and showing a lesson to the students.

[Dat Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character Lee was once a musician in a band but was kicked off because he lost his hearing. So he decided to go to the school for the dead. There he met Max who was also a musician. As time passed Lee realized that sign language was like jazz and over time both him and Max began playing music together and realizing that they sounded good. After practicing for a while they met a girl named Rose and her friend who could translate sign language. As they played people began to notice that they were quite good and really enjoyed their music. In the end this book does a great job of showing the power of music and no matter what disability a person may have music is one thing that connects us all.

[Phil Ninh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character in this book is in a jazz band but when he loses his hearing, his bandleader dismisses him from the band. The main character then attends a school for the deaf and learns sign language. He meets other musicians who are also deaf and together they form a band. I liked the meaning behind this book: that your differences such as being hard of hearing, should not stop you from doing what you love and making music.

A thing I wanted more of: I was a bit confused about how the deaf musicians were able to connect sign language with making music. The story did not explicitly mention how they were producing music. Was it through their sign language? through the sounds, they make with their mouths?

[LeRonnice Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Deaf Musicians” is a children’s book about a musician who is initially ashamed about losing his hearing. The musicians name is Lee, and Lee is a pianist in a jazz band. Lee is very passionate about jazz, but as he starts to lose his hearing, he attempts to keep this issue a secret from the other members of the band. Regardless of his efforts to hide his hearing loss, one night during a concert, the band members discover Lee’s secret, and the band leader kicks Lee out of the band.
This story opened my eyes to the needs and challenges of students with disabilities. The first thing that stood out immediately was the way that Lee was kicked out of the band because of his disability. Students with disabilities are often discriminated against, mistreated, or seen in a negative light due to conditions that are linked to or caused their disability. This story also made me reflect back on some of my personal experiences from working with students with disabilities. Some students with disabilities will hide their challenges, because they are ashamed, and may not want to receive “Special treatment;” however, other students will attempt to use their disability in an attempt to receive extra attention, or other benefits. I also feel like this story identified how students with disabilities are impacted more than just physically by their disabilities. In this case, Lee wanted to continue to be a part of the band, which also identifies the desire to fit in and belong socially.
The “Deaf Musicians” is a popular story that I would share with kids, colleagues, and many other people. This story could be used to educate, and inspire people about challenges that people with disabilities are often faced with. In this story, instead of Lee giving up after being kicked out of the band he decides to learn something new, which was sign language, and through sign language he discovers a whole new world. Again, I feel that this story includes a very inspirational message that could be used to educate, inspire, and unify an infinite number of people.

[Cecilia Lucatero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star rating: 5/5
Year Published: 2006
Award: Schneider Family Book Award
Genre: Picture book, fiction
Some of the themes of this book includes one about jazz, disability awareness, overcoming obstacles to pursue your passions, and the power of music. The story follows a jazz pianist who loses his hearing but then discovers a new way to make music through sign language forming a new band with other deaf musicians. I think that this would be a great picture book to include within a classroom as it can help spread awareness about disabilities and help encourage students who may have a disability or relate to the story. Overall, I enjoyed reading this picture book as it felt inclusive and included a diverse group of people which I think is important for students to be exposed to.

[Brandy Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character, Lee, loses his hearing and is released from his former band (he was a pianist). He was told that no one would listen to a deaf musician. Lee discovers a school for deaf people and that is where he meets Max, Rose, Ellie come in (all who are deaf or know ASL). Together they create a musical band on a subway. This book shows children some of the diversity in our world. Additionally, it shows children that having a minor setback or a disability cannot definitively keep you from doing the things you love. Instead, it helps children to persevere through trials and to understand other people's struggles.

[Kayleigh Muligan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Deaf Musicians is a story about a boy named Lee. Lee is in a jazz band but things go south when he loses his hearing and is kicked out of the band. He then attends school to learn sign language and meets a boy named Max who plays the saxophone. Max and Lee become friends and start to form a deaf jazz band with two other members Ellie and Rose. I gave this book a 3 star rating. Although, the message is very powerful and can teach kids to never give up on their dreams, I thought that it was a bit bland. I think that the ending could have been explained more and the pictures could have been used better to add to the book overall.

[Paxton Bleich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Lee who is a jazz piano player. He then loses his hearing and the bandleader kicked him out. He goes to school to learn sign language and meets a new friend Max. Max plays the saxophone and then they meet Rose who knows Ellie. They all together form a deaf jazz quartet.

This book I have 5/5 stars. I love how inspiring it is. It made me sad to read how Lee was kicked out of the band just because he became deaf. I love how it ends happy with them starting a jazz quartet. I love the musical aspect of this book as well. I would definitely include this book in my classroom library.