By JESSICA McCOY
Before the minister presents his sermon for the day, Yearlord Jean Paul plays a gospel song to get the congregation pumped and ready for the service. Jean Paul’s instrument of choice is the drums, but what sets Jean Paul apart from other drum players is that he doesn’t hear the music he plays, he feels it. Jean Paul is deaf.
“I just feel the music, being deaf doesn’t matter; [playing] is easy,” Jean Paul said. “Playing makes me happy and puts me in a good mood. [The drums] are perfect music.”
Jean Paul first learned to play the drums in Port Au Prince, Haiti, when a friend decided to teach him how to play to pass the time. Later when he moved to the U.S., he learned the instrument more in depth by practicing more and experimenting with the set.
“I learned very quickly. The first time, I just played and played and played until I was sweating. I played so much,” Jean Paul said.
Jean Paul plays the drums at home and every Wednesday at school he observes band teacher Jose Eslava’s class.
“[My favorite part of teaching him] is seeing how excited he gets when he understands something,” Eslava said.
Jean Paul was born in Haiti where he lived with his mother, father and 14 siblings. Three years ago, Jean Paul moved to America with nine siblings and his mother for a better education. There were not adequate resources for deaf students where he had lived before. Unfortunately one of his sisters and a brother died in the recent Haitian earthquake and three of his other siblings relocated to Canada after the natural disaster.
“[After the earthquake], I cried a lot. For about a week I grieved and would not talk about it. During that week I did not know if my father was okay, but once I found out that he was alright, I could talk about it,”
Jean Paul said.
Before coming to America, Jean Paul did not know how to sign, which made it difficult for him to communicate with others. Since learning how to sign his school work has elevated. Jean Paul will graduate on June 4.
“I understood nothing; all I could do was shrug a lot. Learning to sign changed everything for me, and I thank my teacher Mr. Borgon for that,” Jean Paul said.
Now he has a job at Universal Studios as a line cook. Jean Paul works at the Islands of Adventure Grill. He is involved in food preperation like making pizzas, preparing salads and grilling foods; all of which wouldn’t have been possible before moving to America and learning to sign.
Jean Paul was also a part of Brave Aid dancing a salsa routine with partner
Yashira Lopez.
In addition to school work and his job at Universal, Jean Paul plays the drums at his church every Wednesday.
Jean Paul’s church gave him a drum set of his own when they learned of his interest in the instrument. He practices
whenever possible.
“I don’t believe in free time and just hanging out; I’m always doing something,”
Jean Paul said.
Jean Paul plays the instrument he loves, lives with 10 other people including his siblings and mother, all while going to school and maintaining a job, despite his disability.
As a musician, student and employee, Jean Paul has overcome many obstacles in life.