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- [singing] I miss you, baby...
Since I was 12 years old, music has defined who I am 100%.
I always wondered, if I did go deaf,
would I be able to still feel the music, you know,
the vibrations, and maybe play music that way.
[singing] I miss the way you look at me, yeah
If somebody studies and learns a certain way,
they play it the way it is,
where down here in New Orleans, we play it the way we are.
- It's an interesting time for this city
that's had a lot of challenge, a lot of devastation,
and so for the Super Bowl to be back here
and giving them another little push forward is much needed.
The town's alive with all of the energy.
[staccato guitar music]
Garth Brooks, the Pros for Africa,
all of the other pro football players that came,
everybody contributing together to make the show go
was special for us.
I just had this beautiful lady,
and she's hearing...
- Yes.
- And she's been crying and crying over there.
- I had no idea the difference this would make.
- It's a special event to be a part of for me.
Personally, my sister's deaf,
and knowing the importance of giving that gift
is really special and near to my heart.
- It's kind of loud.
- Okay, we might have to turn it down a little bit.
- These people come in, and they get immediate impact.
I mean, right away, these people's lives are changed.
- The minute that sound hits their ears,
you know, their eyes light up.
It literally is one of the most amazing things
I've seen in person.
Okay, which one-- we're looking at that one.
[laughs]
For these kids, you know, the game, to them, is movement,
but I know if we put that in the same context--
when they hear that sound,
you know, the clashing of pads--
You hear the quarterback checking in the huddle.
You hear the "hut, hut, hut!"
Really amazing too.
[grunting]
- Garth Brooks joined us for the mission at the pro's camp.
Garth is always an unbelievable addition,
and he loves seeing the kids here.
- You got any brothers or sisters?
- I got a brother. - Okay.
Well, when you're tired of listening to him,
pop that thing out.
Turn him off. - She does.
[laughter]
- We didn't find out she was deaf until she was two.
We're not exactly sure if she was born deaf
or if she lost her hearing gradually.
I'm extremely happy she has new hearing aids,
and I'm happy that, obviously, the quality is top-notch.
She's hearing much, much more than she ever heard before.
[leaves crunching]
- The one frequency that I lost that they showed me on the test
is the snare drum.
My drummer, he would crank that thing so tight,
so every time he snapped that thing, it was right in my ear,
and that's exactly what did that damage.
It's something I've dealt with for a good 15 years now.
Everything gets muddled.
I can't make out words.
But my son is four years old, and my twins are 15 months.
They're just starting to talk to me like, you know--
like grown-ups.
- The little things-- saying "I love you,"
saying "good-bye," saying "good morning"--
things that we do on a daily basis
that we wouldn't even think about.
- So what kind of instrument do you play?
- All right.
And you're heading off to a gig now?
- Okay.
- I know a lot of people that can't hear off the stage,
and on stage, I mean, they're playing super loud.
But then we get off stage, and you can't hear a thing.
And, like, you know, Beethoven, he went deaf, right?
He still had to do it by putting his head onto the piano
and, you know, God forbid, I don't ever want to be there.
Here in New Orleans, you know, we play gigs every night,
in corners of houses, on the street corner.
We play anywhere and everywhere.
Once your sound is there,
everything flows in harmony together,
and just close your eyes, and somebody else takes over.
It's just magic.
[chimes ding]
- I think it will make her feel like she has more opportunities.
This will open up all kinds of new things for her in the future
that wasn't available to her before.
- I'm hearing the sharpness of the sounds around me, the words.
Everything was clearer.
I could definitely tell the difference,
and I wasn't fighting to hear the sharpness.
- We got it.
- Appreciate it. Thank you so much.
- Giving the gift of hearing
is the greatest blessing I could imagine,
because you're connecting someone to life,
and there can't be anything better than that.
- [singing] I want the whole world to see
Yeah
That's it.
I should've said, "I wish the whole world could hear."
[baby cries]
I heard that.
[laughs]
I heard my baby crying.
I got to go.