Music for Deaf Ears
Matt Hay’s hearing was never good. Born with Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to arise on nerves, especially those located in the spine. Matts tumors affect his balance and hearing until one malicious one causes his deafness.
Born and raised in Indiana, Matt relates his story and how the music he heard in his youth affects his perceptions of the world around him. In high school Matt meets his soulmate and future wife, Nora, a rare gem. Throughout his hearing loss journey, Nora is there for him providing emotional support and tons of love.
In his memoir, Sounds of Silence, readers will learn a lot about hearing loss and its effects on the individual. Matt’s tumors need medical attention stat. Nora is always at his side providing support and guidance. The two learn ASL together to improve communication.
Matt’s first love is music—the playlist of his childhood and young adult life. Throughout the book the author makes references to those songs as motivators to keep him on track. This writer lost his hearing to a virus in mid-life, so I can honestly attest to the book’s message. Soundtrack of Silence is a worthwhile memoir to digest for a greater understanding of hearing loss and its effect on one man and his family. The memoir is very well written, which didn’t surprise me because bestselling author and award-winning writer, Steve Eubanks, helped with the editing process. The people and settings throughout the book keep readers riveted as Matt evolves from a hard-of-hearing man to a deaf one.
About the Author
Matt Hay had a long journey toward deafness and even longer journey toward learning to “hear” again with an experimental brainstem implant. He first publicly shared his story on a National Public Radio. The intimate, funny and authentic peek at what it’s like to start a career, fall in love and build a life while battling a rare disease inspired actor Channing Tatum and Paramount Pictures to option the motion picture rights to Matt’s life story.
