BSL NASHVILLE COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Commonly Asked Questions

We know you have a hundred questions; here are a hundred answers.

(Well, maybe not quite that many)

ABOUT THE EVENT

THIS IS A PERFORMANCE INTERPRETING WORKSHOP, SO WHAT TYPES OF PERFORMANCES ARE COVERED?

The event primarily focuses on music and musical theatre, but we cover acting skills etc so this event applies to all forms of performances. The music we use is different every year, but in general we try and hit the primary music genres, including musical theatre. Because the workshop focuses a great deal on the development of an interpreter's affect skills, the work applies to all fields including VRS calls, doctor's appointments, conference interpreting, classroom interpreting, etc. Affect is a critical part of the interpreting process, so attendees often comment that this workshop impacts all the work they do in every field of interpreting.

SHOULD I APPLY IF I HAVE HAD NO EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF PERFORMANCE?

Yes! We don't care a great deal about what you have done, so your lack of experience doesn't impact us. We care about your potential, your professionalism, and in all honesty, your heart.

WHAT LANGUAGE IS THE EVENT TAUGHT IN?

We teach the event in English (voice) and we work in ASL/PSE.

ARE DEAF INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN THE EVENT?

Yes, Deaf individuals serve as evaluators during class, and serve as volunteers, transportation supporters, and evaluators for live practice events in the evenings. Gate believes strongly that the Deaf are the best individuals to evaluate the quality of an interpretation.

ARE PARTICIPANTS REQUIRED TO INTERPRET IN THE EVENINGS?

No, evenings are optional. Some individuals will want to rest. The classwork is intensive, and it will be a lot to process. Some indviduals will want to push the week to its limit. Participants can pick how many evening events in which they would like to participate.

ARE PARTICIPANTS REQUIRED TO PERFORM IN THE FINAL CONCERT?

No. The concert is available for final feedback at the end of the week. Attendance or participation is not required but is encouraged.

ARE CEU'S AVAILABLE FOR EVENING EVENTS?

No. Our CMP does not allow earning of CEU's outside of the classroom time, however the workshop does allow for a total of 3.5 PS CEU's which is extensive!

WILL PARTICIPANTS TRULY BE CHALLENGED AND TESTED TO IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS?

YES! YES! YES! This event is intensive. Most interpreters who attend any Gate workshop say it's the best workshop they have ever attended. The material is intensive... very intensive. Gate believes every minute in a workshop is a minute to catch a vision, learn a truth, and be molded into greatness. Gate believes every interpreter has room to improve and as a family we can work together to make that happen.

WILL PARTICIPANTS BE INTIMIDATED BY OTHER ATTENDEES?

No. Gate believes in a NO EGO environment. We emphasize family. We emphasize team work. We emphasize the need for vulnerability. We emphasize a hard working environment. We emphasize positive attitudes. We emphasize positive interaction with peers. We do NOT support any superiority... ever. No one is perfect. We believe the best Performance Interpreters are often the ones willing to get out of their shell and willing to try new skills. If you want to be free to be at your best, this is the place for you.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ACCEPTED INTO BSL NASHVILLE EVERY YEAR?

We will likely accept 12 - 23 people into BSL NASHVILLE this year. Classes have to be small to get the individualized attention we strive to acheive.

HOW MANY PEOPLE APPLY TO BSL NASHVILLE EACH YEAR?

We don't release the number of people who apply. We don't want this to be a competition which encourages ego. We want this to become a family environment where a wide variety of people are accepted with a variety of skills.

CAN INDIVIDUALS ATTEND MORE THAN ONCE?

YES! Some individuals feel that once isn't enough. :) As most workshop participants only retain 10% according to statistics, we think attending a second time can be quite helpful. Our record is someone attending 9 times. She is family now. You might just meet her if you join us!

ARE CEUs AVAILABLE FOR REPEAT ATTENDEES?

YES! RID's policies do allow for people to receive full CEUs when attending repeatedly.

CAN STUDENTS ATTEND?

YES! We accept a number of students every year. They add a neat level of energy to the group. We love having them.

CAN APPLICATIONS/VIDEOS BE SUBMITTED ONLINE?

YES! Attendees can email a scanned copy of the application, and then upload or email audition videos.

IS THIS PROGRAM GOOD FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT SEEKING PERMANENT CAREERS AS PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE INTERPRETERS?

YES! Many individuals attend just to grow their skills in performance in a safe and challenging environment, but their endgame may not be to become full time Performance Interpreters. We have had Educational Interpreters, VRS Interpreters, Government Interpreters, and of course we have freelancers and Professional Performance Interpreters. Many interpreters who attend do want a career as Performance Interpreter, but not all. We have a mixed group every year.

IS THIS PROGRAM A GOOD FIT FOR DEAF INDIVIDUALS?

Some of the best Performance Interpreters are Deaf! We love that the world of Performance Interpreting is open to the masses. This particular program is taught in such a way that it is geared towards Hearing individuals. We have had Deaf attendees in the past, and they have enjoyed the event, which we love! We of course welcome Deaf individuals in every class! A few things any Deaf applicant has to keep in mind: this workshop is taught in voice for a wide varity of reasons. When the Deaf attend, the workshop will either be SimCommed or interpreted by volunteer interpreters when available. Gate's earnings on the workshop are significantly less than the fees associated with the required number of interpreters for the event, so we do rely on volunteers. We will do our best to make sure Deaf attendees have captioned videos for practice, and we will try to incorporate creative technology to bring as much clarity as we can to the sound based topics we cover. Due to the lack of preparation available for night events, Deaf individuals are requested to serve as evaluators in the evenings rather than as interpreters. Any Deaf Performance Interpreter knows preparation is critical for Deaf Performance Interpreters, and there will be little prep if any available for evening events. Our Deaf attendees have loved serving as evaluators in the past and free tickets to evening events are provided to Deaf individuals who do choose to serve as evaluators. Topics like vocal affect, tone of music, vocal alterations, the subtle but directed changes in music and vocal affect etc, need to be taught differently for Deaf individuals in order to make those unique characteristics really click for Deaf participants, so we had an idea... if you are Deaf and looking forward to learning how to make your stage time really effective for your Deaf audiences, we are currently developing a workshop which will serve in connection with BSL NASHVILLE, and this coming workshop is being developed specifically for the Deaf! This new workshop will tackle all the sound based info in a completely unique manner, and will definitely challenge what the Deaf know about music and musical interpreting. Deaf performers will love it! That workshop will be a game changer for DIs/DASLs/SMs. Are you Deaf and interested in attending BSL NASHVILLE? Apply! But if you want to get the most out of these topics, this new workshop is ideal!

WHAT IS THE AGE RANGE FOR APPLICANTS?

We accept participants who are 16 or older. We did have one high schooler in 2024. Go to our media page and check out his video. He was incredible!

I JUST HEARD ABOUT THE EVENT, IS IT TOO LATE TO APPLY?

People submit last minute applications all the time. As long as you get an extension request in by May 4th you are able to apply.

SHOULD I APPLY IF I DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING ALREADY?

YES! People who put out the effort always find the funding. We have heard some incredible stories of how funding was acheived.

ARE THERE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE?

Sometimes we do have scholarships available. Information about those will be listed on the application page if and when they become available this year.

WHAT ARE SOME PERSONAL FUNDRAISING IDEAS?

Funding from your place of employment
Funding from your church/religious institution
Funding from your collegiate institution
Funding from your local RID office
Funding from your local NAD chapter
Funding from your local disability office
GoFundMe account
Facebook fundraising
Personal fundraising such as bake sales, car washes, craft sales, etc
Birthday/Anniversary/Holiday gifts from family & friends
Extra work hours

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

HOW MANY SPEAKERS DO YOU USUALLY HAVE?

Samantha serves as the primary speaker. We have between 4 & 5 guests each year.

WHEN DO YOU KNOW WHAT GUESTS WILL BE BOOKED?

There is no way to predict which guests will be booked at a particular time. In some cases we are able to book people way in advance, in other cases we find out about availability closer to the event.

WHAT TYPES OF GUESTS DO YOU BRING IN?

We try to get a variety. We want bring in guests who are award winning writers & performers, in addition to people who work in other areas of the industry such as serving as artist reps or stage managers. The goal is to teach attendees about a wide variety of areas of the industry. Check out our PRESENTERS page for more info.

WHAT ARTISTS HAVE SPOKEN AT BSLN?

Artists in Paramore, Sugarland, Jars of Clay, Broadway actors from shows like Les Mis, and so many more!

ABOUT THE APPLICATION

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN OUR SIGNED INTRODUCTION?

We want to get to know you. We want your honesty. No you don't need to sign ASL, although please feel free to use ASL of course. If ASL intimidates you, don't let that stop you from submitting a video. You just need to be able to sign.

DO OUR VIDEOS NEED TO LOOK PROFESSIONAL?

No. We do need to understand you, so make sure you are lit enough to see your performance clearly, but a video with a camera, computer, pad, or phone is acceptable. Please make sure the sound can be heard.

SHOULD MY PERFORMANCE BE PERFECTLY POLISHED?

A polished performance is wonderful but it's not required. We are not looking for perfection, we are looking for potential.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A WELL GLOSSED SONG?

A well glossed song is wonderful, but that will not necessarily keep you from being accepted to BSL NASHVILLE. We are looking for potential not perfection.

I WANT TO GET IN AN APPLICATION, BUT I MAY HAVE WAITED TOO LONG.

Try to plan and not put off developing your application. We hear a lot of applicants say "I just threw it together." We have also learned that some of those people are the most enjoyable, and they have grown very near and dear to our hearts. We would hate for you to miss an opportunity to join us, and we would hate to not get to know you! So plan ahead. However, if you did wait too long, get that packet in anyway. A last minute packet is better than no packet at all! Many last minute applicants have been accepted. remember you can ask for an extension by contacting our office at workshops@gatecommunications.org.

INFORMATION FOR FOREIGN APPLICANTS

I AM NOT AN AMERICAN. CAN I STILL ATTEND THIS WORKSHOP?

YES! People from 4 countries have attended BSLN.

HOW DO FEES WORK WITH EXCHANGE RATES?

All individuals using foreign currency will be required to pay via PayPal. PayPal will automatically switch the cost of the workshop from your money standard to U.S. Dollars.

DO I NEED TO SPEAK ENGLISH?

Yes. The workshop is taught in English. We do request all Hearing participants speak English well enough to comprehend the lectures.

DO I NEED TO KNOW AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE?

No. Your audition videos can be communicated in your native sign language. We do ask you speak when you sign your intro. As we may not be familiar with your particular sign language, we want to be able to be sure and understand what you are communicating. We will advertise any concerts you interpret in the evenings as being performed in the language you use. Audience members will know in advance you do not communicate in ASL/PSE. Americans love being exposed to foreign signed languages, so you will quickly become popular here.

HOW WILL I BE EVALUATED?

We will evaluate you primarily based on your performance skills, not your translation skills. When we can, we will contact individuals in your country to evaluate your skills over the internet for your audition video, but for live practice/performances, most of the time our focus will remain on your performance skills. We do spend one day focusing on glossing, and the theories about what we teach can be applied to all foreign signed languages.

IS IT WORTH TRAVELING TO THE U.S. FOR THIS WORKSHOP?

Yes!! There is nothing else like it in the world. You will have a great time, and often our foreign participants quickly become the favorites of the group.

HAVE FOREIGN PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED IN THE PAST?

Yes. Thus far we have had participants attend from4 English speaking nations around the globe.

I WANT TO RECEIVE PROFESSIONAL CREDIT FOR MY ATTENDANCE AT BSLN. CAN YOU PROVIDE CONTINUING EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION?

Yes. Each country has a different system. You will receive a certificate for your attendance, and the CEU value as defined by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf in the United States. Most countries will accept that documentation as proof of attendance/educational endeavors. If your country needs additional documentation, we are happy to provide it. Translation is the responsibility of the participant if the individual is from a non-English speaking nation.

SHOULD I PLAN TO STAY LONGER THAN JUST FOR THE LENGTH OF THE WORKSHOP?

Absolutely. We suggest all foreign applicants arrive early and get acclimated to our time zones, and to the American lifestyle for a bit before delving in to the workshop. We suggest arriving in the U.S. at least a few days before the workshop begins. It's also a great time to get in a little extra tourism.

I HAVE NOT TRAVELED TO THE U.S. CAN YOU OFFER SUGGESTIONS?

Yes, of course! We are happy to help make suggestions on your travel, on attire, on just about anything you have questions about.