Bob Hiltermann A Famous Deaf Storyteller, Actor, Comic,...

Bob Hiltermann is a famous deaf storyteller, actor, comic, and musician. He was born in Wiesbaden, Germany and became deaf at the age of four due to spinal meningitis. His family assumed that he was slow and it wasn’t until he was ten years old that they finally realized he was deaf. When Bob turned eighteen, he attended Gallaudet University. While attending Gallaudet he learned American Sign Language, which would eventually lead him to become a confident and successful signer. Bob grew up in a family of classical musicians and this shaped his love for music. Despite being deaf he has become an accomplished musician himself and is the drummer for a famous all deaf band named Beethoven’s Nightmare. He has also experienced a very successful career as an actor and has starred in many award winning documentary films, TV, stage productions, soaps, and feature films. Bob has also helped create and star in an educational sign language series called â€Å"Shut up and Sign† (Hiltermann, 2016). Hiltermann’s love for music has translated into one of the main forms in which he is a Teller. â€Å"Living with a large family of musicians, Bob gained a love for music, but it wasn’t until he was invited to an Indian ceremony that he realized his passion for the drums. Using his neighbor’s drums he played along with his favorite LP’s and 45’s honing his talents† (Beethoven’s Nightmare). As a deaf drummer Hiltermann uses his skills to express himself and show that deaf people are capable of