A woman is standing in front of thousands of people at Country Jam to reach just a few.
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This year, for the first time, everyone will be able to understand what the performers are singing about. Interpreter Colleen Cudo came to the Jam last year as a fan, saw a need, and got right to work.
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There's more to Country Jam than the music. Colleen has been coming to Country Jam for years. Last year, she noticed a few people who are deaf, and realized there was no one to interpret for them.
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“The only people that were left out were the deaf people. I mean, they can feel the vibrations, they can see the music. They can see the actions, the guitar, the piano. They can see the lights, but they're missing the words and I hope to bring that link a little bit more and give ‘em the same experience that you and I get coming here,” Colleen says.
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To do that, Colleen has put in 200 hours of practice since April. And there's more to it than just the words. Colleen wants to interpret the entire audible experience.
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"I’m giving a feel for everything. All the background, everything. All the surroundings. I have a really deep passion for what I do. I really enjoy that I bring that link between the deaf community and the hearing people,” she says.
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Colleen says the Country Jam organizers were excited about her idea and helped make it a reality and Colleen says she hopes to be able to keep coming back to Country Jam so every single one of the thousands of people get the full experience.