New technology installed at Billings Studio Theater on Tuesday will allow audience members with hearing loss to stream live performance audio directly to their personal Bluetooth devices, which includes hearing aids, headphones and AirPods.
Big Sky Audiology in Billings purchased and donated an Auracast transmitter, a technical device that made it's debut in April and can connect directly into a venue's existing soundboard.
The system went live Tuesday, just in time for the theater's upcoming production of Come From Away starting Sep. 11, the first show expected to use the technology.
Matthew Hayden, the son of Tracy Hayden, the founder and lead audiologist of Big Sky Audiology, said the project grew out of conversations with his mother about how they could better serve both patients in the clinic and the broader Billings community.
"I truly believe that art is incredibly important to a person's well-roundedness. It provides texture to a person's entire human experience," Hayden said.
According to Hayden, their clinic wanted to make the investment into the community without placing any financial burden on the theater.
"We want to front all costs of installing and purchasing these new devices and donate them. This is a donation and it's an investment in the community," Hayden said.
Unlike older hearing loop systems, which according to Hayden require compatible hearing aids as well as a direct line of connection to function, Auracast uses Bluetooth to deliver existing audio, meaning anyone with a compatible device can connect.
"The difference between the hearing loops, which is kind of the older model, and the Auracast is anybody can participate now," Hayden said.
Kelsey Prosser, an audiologist at Big Sky Audiology who has dealt with hearing loss herself since childhood, said the ability to use personal devices marks a significant shift in accessibility.
"This is new that you can actually use your own personal devices. It doesn't have to just be a hearing aid… so it's really exciting," Prosser said.
According to Prosser, the quality of the audio connection itself is transformative for people who have struggled to hear and follow live performances.
"To have that direct signal is game changing," Prosser said.
Big Sky Audiology said that patients who already have compatible hearing aids can also contact the clinic for help connecting those devices to their televisions at home.
At Billings Studio Theater, staff said the upgrade replaces a system that had been in place since approximately 2015 and had become increasingly unreliable.
Casey Visser, the artistic director at Billings Studio Theater, said the donation came as a welcome surprise.
"We want the audience to get the very best experience they can," Visser said.
Nancy Wollenberg, managing director, said the theater received an email from Hayden in July and moved quickly to have the system ready for the start of the season. The theater is now beginning its 74th season.
Jana Lindy, technical manager at Billings Studio Theater, said the installation connects directly to the theater's in-house sound system. This means the technology will benefit audiences at both musical productions and non-musical performances alike.
The new system will be available to all patrons for all shows going forward. The old hearing assist system will remain in place as well, giving audiences additional options.
Hayden said the Billings Studio Theater installation is only the beginning, with plans to bring the technology to more venues across the city.
According to Hayden the broader goal is straightforward.
"They'll be able to experience them more fully. And that just is that's the best," Hayden said.
