LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Former high school musician, April Uncapher, is enjoying the music at Bourbon and Beyond. Uncapher traveled from the Chicago-area to Louisville to catch some of the action, especially Blondie. 

“Coming to see someone new and a lot of new artists and I just like the music, the beat, the drums, the guitar. Like I said, I can’t always understand the words but I can make out the music and that’s what I enjoy,” Uncapher said. 

Uncapher says having American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at concerts helps her to enjoy the experience even more. 

“It’s helped immensely because before I would literally have to get put up way into the stands way up high and I’m relying on trying to read and see the screen – and so sometimes they don’t always put the camera on the mouth – so then I can’t follow so if I don’t know what’s going on then I can’t understand and I don’t have as good of a time,” she added.

Jessica King is an ASL interpreter at music festivals and concerts. She says she plays off of the musicians’ energy and allows those that are deaf and hard of hearing to have an equal festival experience as other attendees. 

“You know, we are just the mode of communication. We hear what the artist says and we try to paint the picture of what that story, what that song means, that story that the musician is trying to portray so that we can all be one and connected and have that equal access,” King said. 

Uncapher appreciates ASL interpreters who allow her to rock out. 

“It’s really important for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community to be able to have the same experience as a normal hearing person,” Uncapher said.

There will also be ASL interpreters at Louder than Life, which takes place Sept. 21 through Sept. 24.