video transcript

The percussionists in this Sao Paulo school band can't hear the music. Instead, they feel the vibrations from the drums and speakers. Their teacher, Fabio Bonvenuto, started teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils in 2005. Called "Music of Silence", the band also has hearing members. And Bonvenuto says that combination has produced positive changes. SOUNDBITE: Fabio Bonvenuto, music teacher, saying (Portuguese): "The first thing we noticed was the change in the (deaf) students' social skills, since they began to interact more with others. They also learn to respect boundaries." Bonvenuto says the hearing-impaired process sound differently, but it's all done in the same part of the brain. The band even performs with other schools, which improves the kids' confidence and amazes their parents. SOUNDBITE: Fabio Bonvenuto, music teacher, saying (Portuguese): "The families get involved. Many parents walk up to me and say: 'I didn't know my child was capable of playing music. I didn't know she was part of such a great project'." "Music of Silence" will hit its highest note in 2014 when the young musicians perform at the opening ceremony of the World Cup.