Academy of Music’s ‘Let’s Hear It!’ campaign aims to secure assisted listening device system

The Academy of Music
Reminder Publishing photo by Trent Levakis

NORTHAMPTON — Those with auditory and visual disabilities may soon have the necessary equipment to fully enjoy live performances at the Academy of Music Theatre.

The Northampton performance venue has launched an April fundraising campaign to help secure funding for the purchase and installation of the building’s first assisted listening device system.

The ‘Let’s Hear It!’ campaign aims to raise $10,000 during the month of April, which will then enable the Academy to acquire the equipment needed to provide assistance to more than 30 patrons at one time during any event on the historic Northampton stage.

Academy Executive Director Debra J’Anthony said she is confident this project will accommodate audience members with auditory and visual disabilities who have previously been unable to fully experience performances, or who have opted not to attend live performances because of the lack of equipment.

“We had visited providing assisted listening devices, and in the begging, there were not as many options to accommodate the variety of programs that we offer, and it has only been recently, over the last 10 years or so, that we are able to provide a device that could cover film, band and theater,” J’Anthony told Reminder Publishing.

J’Anthony said that enhancing accessibility at the theatre has been a priority for over a decade now, as seen through the wheelchair accessible additions made to the building inside and out over that time. In the last several years, the Academy tried to secure grant funds to help bridge the accessibility gap, but had no luck.

But now, with The Beveridge Family Foundation already contributing $2,000 to the campaign, and the Academy itself contributing another $2,500, the theatre is now asking the public to rally around the cause and help them close this campaign in April.

“We’re reaching out to the community to say, we would really like to provide a fuller experience for our patrons [who] require an assisted listening device. Not only those with hearing disabilities, but also, we are newly collaborating with Valley Eye Radio to hopefully provide, for certain shows, descriptions of what is going on stage so they can hear through the listening device,” added J’Anthony.

Valley Eye Radio is a nonprofit service for blind and visually impaired listeners with the mission of keeping Pioneer Valley neighbors informed and connected by being a 24/7 accessible source of local news. The Academy’s partnership with the service is an effort to expand its reach to local venues that bring in live performances. The hope is to provide live remote broadcasts and collaborative events that bring community storytelling and live performance directly to listeners.

“Partnerships like this one between the Academy and Valley Eye Radio reflect what’s best about our region — organizations coming together to remove barriers and make culture, learning and connection accessible to all,” said Valley Eye Radio Executive Director Chloe Collins.

The two organizations will coordinate efforts for select performances during the 2026-27 theatre season. Other venues or individuals interested in partnering with or volunteering for Valley Eye Radio can visit its website at valleyeyeradio.org for more information.

J’Anthony added that the Academy is also seeking community amplifier sponsors who want to get involved. She said they can reach out for more information by emailing development@aomtheatre.com.

“It is a very short campaign. We do hope to meet our goals and then purchase the devices in May at some point, and then have them installed hopefully by early June,” added J’Anthony. “We’re very grateful for the community support.”

Anyone interested in donating to this campaign can visit the donation page on the Academy website at aomtheatre.com/donate-lets-hear-it/ or email development@aomtheatre.com for more information.