Rock Falls student reaches out with sign language for national anthem

NORMAL – Remington Collins’ renditions of the “The Star Spangled Banner” won acclaim as much for what was seen as for what was heard.

While singing the national anthem without accompaniment, Collins simultaneously conveyed the lyrics in American Sign Language on March 4 to open the afternoon and evening sessions of the Illinois High School Association girls basketball tournament at Redbird Arena.

It also earned her the appreciation of at least one hearing-impaired audience member – the most affirming part of the performance.

“There was a man, his name was Rob, and he was there with his friend,” said Collins, who said they signed to her from across the arena then approached to express their gratitude. “They were just shocked and it made them really happy. And it made me tear up a little bit. It’s a core memory I will cherish forever. It made me realize why I did it. It was definitely pretty awesome.”

Collins, a 15-year-old member of the Rock Falls High School sophomore class, won the chance to perform by sending in an audition video in December. But it wasn’t until after her selection she decided she might want to incorporate sign language.

“I’m passionate about making events inclusive,” she said. “I’d really like to help others when I can.”

Since third grade Collins had learned to sign Pidgin Signed English – a conceptually accurate method. But American Sign Language is the standard method and has its own grammar, so she set herself the task of learning it.

“I watched many, many interpretations, watched professionals do it,” she said.

She’s not fluent yet, but within a few days she did master the gestures needed for the national anthem. Once she learned how to interpret the music, she submitted a trial version of her rehearsal to a Facebook group for the deaf community, seeking feedback and tips on accuracy.

“I wanted to sing well,” Collins said. “I wanted to respect the deaf and hard of hearing. I didn’t want to be disrespectful and mess up.”

Susan Knoblauch is an assistant executive director of the IHSA who oversees music. Knoblauch was on hand while Collins went through her performance prep. “I knew this one was going to be pretty special when I watched her warm up,” Knoblauch said in a Facebook post.

Collins wants to continue learning ASL. So far, she’s largely self-taught, learning from a YouTube video channel. She said she is going to explore whether she can take a class on it at Sauk Valley Community College.

It was an afternoon of firsts. Not only was it Collins’ first time doing ASL while singing, it was also her first go at the national anthem in a public venue as a soloist singing a cappella. (She has used PSE in a performance before, when cast as Wendy in a performance of “Peter Pan Jr.” at Woodlawn Arts Academy as an eighth-grader.) She said she was incredibly nervous before singing at the afternoon session.

But she wasn’t alone. The Rock Falls pep band – which she also is a member as a clarinetist— was there to perform. She said her friend and trumpeter Dugan Schauff was also supportive.

“It was super awesome to have them there,” Collins said. “They’re like my family, backing me up. ... It was a warm and fun day overall.”

Collins credits her voice coach, Mardi Huffstutler of Woodlawn Arts Academy in Sterling, for her growth as a singer.

Patrick Anderson, the Rock Falls music instructor and director, said a video of Collins singing the national anthem is drawing eyeballs as of Saturday afternoon. The one posted to the Rock Falls Music Department Facebook page had 11,000 views and the IHSA post of the video had 2,500 views.

“What’s most impressive about it, is that it was something she wanted to do,” Anderson said. “Extremely proud over her performance, but even more impressed with what it shows about her character as a person.”

The pep band had auditioned separately and was selected on its own merit.

Under Anderson’s direction, the band performed from its set list of pop music favorites during breaks in the game action.

It was a busy weekend for the Rock Falls music program. On Saturday, the program was off to another IHSA event: the solo and ensemble state finals competition. Rock Falls was assigned to West Carroll High School in Savanna.

Rock Falls competes in Class A. According to preliminary results posted on Saturday by the IHSA, Rock Falls was in fifth place overall with 354 points. The band was in fourth with 270 points, behind Chicago Heights Marian, Ottawa Township and Chicago High School for the Arts. In vocals, Rock Falls was 14th with 84 points.

As a soloist, Collins earned a Division I rating with a 35.0 score, performing “Le Moulin.”