Hearts for Hearing sculpture celebrates the gift of sound in Oklahoma City

Inside a glass tower at Hearts for Hearing's Oklahoma City campus, a 42-foot sculpture transforms the spoken words “Celebration of Sound” into an illuminated work of art. 

Suspended in the lobby of the organization's expanded facility, the sculpture lights up to commemorate milestones in patients' hearing journeys. Visible to motorists along Lake Hefner Parkway, the installation offers a glimpse into the life-changing work happening inside Hearts for Hearing. 

Since the sculpture's first illumination on March 3, Hearts for Hearing has held 128 celebrations through Oct. 8. 

The installation features 26 discs arranged to represent the sound wave created by speaking the words “Celebration of Sound.” Built by Oklahoma City-based Artform, the sculpture is housed within a 47-foot glass tower connecting the organization's facilities. 

For Hearts for Hearing, the installation is more than an architectural centerpiece. It gives patients, families and clinicians a way to share milestones that might otherwise take place entirely inside an appointment room. 

Turning hearing milestones into celebrations 

For patients receiving cochlear implants, activation day can mark an important step in their hearing journey. After a hearing technology activation or programming appointment, patients and their families can gather beneath the sculpture to commemorate the occasion. 

During the celebration, the installation illuminates with colorful lights accompanied by a musical jingle composed by Grammy-winning Oklahoma composer Patty Drummond. Families and staff can also gather for refreshments, turning a clinical milestone into a shared experience. 

Kris Hopper, chief external affairs officer for Hearts for Hearing, said approximately 100,000 vehicles pass the location daily. With the sculpture visible through the glass tower, the illuminated displays can introduce motorists to the work taking place inside the facility. 

The sculpture is part of the organization's Celebration of Sound expansion, which added 30,800 square feet to its Oklahoma City campus. Supported in part by American Rescue Plan Act funding, the project provides additional space for hearing health care, research and services for children and adults. 

Expanding access to hearing health care 

Founded in 2003, Hearts for Hearing has grown from an organization focused on helping children access hearing aids into a comprehensive hearing health care provider serving people of all ages. 

The organization served approximately 50,000 Oklahomans last year, providing services that include audiology, speech-language therapy and hearing technology support. 

One of its longstanding commitments is providing first hearing aids at no cost to babies born deaf, helping families access hearing technology during an important period of early development. 

With locations in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Norman, along with a mobile care clinic, Hearts for Hearing works to make specialized hearing services accessible to patients throughout the state. 

The expanded Oklahoma City facility builds on that mission, bringing additional clinical and research capabilities together to serve a growing patient population. 

Helping Oklahomans know their Hearing Number 

Hearts for Hearing is also encouraging Oklahomans to better understand their hearing health through its Know Your Hearing Number initiative. 

A Hearing Number measures the softest speech sound a person can hear, with a separate number for each ear. Higher numbers indicate greater difficulty hearing and communicating, particularly in noisy environments. 

Clinically known as the four-frequency pure tone average, the measurement is one of the tools hearing care professionals use to evaluate hearing ability and identify different degrees of hearing loss. 

Hearts for Hearing encourages individuals to learn their Hearing Number through an assessment that takes approximately five to seven minutes. The information can provide a baseline for monitoring hearing health and identifying when additional care may be beneficial. 

More information is available through Hearts for Hearing's Know Your Hearing Number initiative. 

While the sculpture celebrates milestones made possible through hearing technology, the organization's educational efforts encourage more Oklahomans to take an active role in their hearing health. 

And with each new celebration, Celebration of Sound adds another moment to the story of the people and families Hearts for Hearing serves.