Raleigh, NC (Sept. 27, 2023) - Nashville based 501c3 charity Songs for Sound Hear the Music Tour is hitting the road for it’s 8th annual tour, headed across the United States, kicking things off in North Carolina, thanks to the support from Cochlear Americas, a leader in hearing device implants that help to restore hearing and connect people to a world of sound. The Academy of Country Music (ACM) Lifting Lives Foundation and The Boedecker Foundation provide generous support to Songs for Sound’s outreach in the music industry.
Songs for Sound is teaming up with IBMA World of Bluegrass Festival hosted in Raleigh, North Carolina to provide free hearing screenings, guidance and mass awareness to the music industry and the attendees of this incredible event. IBMA World of Bluegrass facilitates the growth and development of the bluegrass music community, from professional to fan. North Carolina Relay and Captel North Carolina the state’s top provider of products and services that help people with disabilities communicate with the world around them, will also be on site sharing the great services they provide the people of North Carolina.
The Songs for Sound Hear the Music Tour provides free hearing screenings via a state-of-the-art DIY software which is taken aboard its mobile experience. A Songs for Sound representative will also be available to guide anyone needing support with next steps, and the charity’s Care Team of hearing health advocates are an optional service after the event for those wanting to take next steps locally. The guides help to identify coverage in health insurance and break down existing barriers on the journey to hear.
73% of those served through the Songs for Sound Tour report they knew they may have had a decline in hearing, but didn’t know what to do to get help.
The tour will also host free events for VA hospitals, veterans organizations, senior living communities and community events throughout 13 states through December 2023. The tour calendar can be accessed here with events added daily.
"Hearing loss purpose is deeply personal for me," said Songs for Sound founder and CEO, Jaime Motes. Jaime’s daughter, Lexi, was not given a newborn hearing screening. Jaime continually received incorrect information and a “let’s wait” reaction when asking for answers as to why Lexi wasn’t saying first words nor reacting to sounds. After Jaime pushed through barriers, Lexi was diagnosed as being profoundly deaf at 14 months of age. Lexi was soon implanted bilaterally with cochlear implants. “The day she was diagnosed, it hit me. She never heard my lullaby. All the nights when I sang to her and she squirmed, turned and cried. She wouldn’t connect with me. I was healing from the loss of my mom’s passing and all I wanted was to connect with my baby girl. But she never heard me. She never ‘heard the music’,” shares Jaime.
“The very first day Lexi’s cochlear implants were turned on (activated) Lexi heard birds chirping. She could finally hear my lullabies and music, a gift everyone deserves. Lexi learned to communicate and use spoken language and now lives a mainstream life.”
Vernon notes that results from the tour show that 60% of musicians and touring staff have some level of hearing loss. Over 65% of seniors have some level of hearing loss. 20% of children have some level of hearing loss, a statistic that is increasing due to overuse of ear buds and loud music. “Our mission is to use Lexi’s story to offer hope to serve everyone living with untreated hearing loss, meet them on their journey and guide them to the care they deserve. We also generate awareness for keeping your hearing healthy. We provide everything we didn’t have.”
Lexi is now 15 and a top ranked softball pitcher in the country for the class of 2026. You can learn more about her story HERE.
Songs for Sound must garner support for such a massive mission and is very grateful for supporters, Cochlear Americas, ACM Lifting Lives Foundation and NC Relay, Captel North Carolina. These organizations are making this mission possible and they all share a passion for helping people communicate:
"As a state program, both Relay NC and CapTel NC services are on a mission to be the best at connecting our customers to their world. Our accessible communication solutions help us support all our customers, and we are proud to help bridge the communication gap for people with disabilities."
~Jacque Lee, Director, Industry Segments and Accessibility Team.
Songs for Sound has hosted over 900 free hearing screening events across the U.S. serving over 31,000 Americans by partnering with over 700 community organizations and events. Songs for Sound’s difference is love and kindness. “We don’t have to sell anything except good will and love,” shares Jaime, “I’m giving back everything that was given to us, to Lexi.”
Undiagnosed hearing loss can advance aging diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia. It can create joblessness and loss of wages. In children, untreated hearing loss can lead to literacy delays and feelings of social isolation. Therefore, we are excited to serve communities and people all across the U.S. and beyond to #HearTheMusic.
To learn more visit SongsForSound.org.
About Songs for Sound
Songs for Sound uses a passionate and compelling story about hearing loss & music to create awareness, increase access and encourage action around untreated hearing loss. SFS aims to give HOPE to 1,000,000 people by 2025 by connecting them to life-changing hearing health resources.
Press Contact:
Songs for Sound
Jaime Motes, Spokesperson/Founder/CEO
615.739.114
