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The first strategy in this research is defined as a technologically driven approach, which supported the initial hypothesis that, by identifying technological tools enabling Deaf individuals to create and perform musical stage pieces without the “conducting” or guidance of hearing collaborators, it might be possible to resolve a significant portion of the challenges related to collaboration, synchronization, and performance.
 

This strategy was partially successful: the research question and hypothesis were explored in the creative process of the performance NOT WHAT WE AGREED, during which a range of effective tools were discovered and tested – visual cues, video-based metronomes, sensory and vibrotactile devices, and a vibrating audience platform. These tools expanded the possibilities of stage expression and allowed Deaf participants to engage more independently in the creative process.

However, practice also revealed the limitations of this strategy. The technological focus often encouraged Deaf performers to concentrate on trying to “hear” or physically perceive music, rather than developing their own distinct modes of expression. In this way, the strategy—despite its technical and even methodological effectiveness – remained rooted in an audiocentric and deficit-based perspective, subtly reproducing hearing-normative frameworks.