A study of rhythm, timing, and meaning in American Sign Language — where language lives not only in the signs, but in what happens between them.
There is something that happens in ASL that cannot be captured in a gloss. The pause before a sign lands. The breath that shapes a phrase. The way a body holds a word before it is released. That is where this course begins. Not in the signs themselves — but in what lives between them.
— Rosa Lee Timm
I didn't learn this from a textbook.
I learned it from watching artists who made me feel something —
and asking myself why.
That question is where this course begins.
Come find your answer.
This is a self-paced course in the artistry of American Sign Language — specifically, the musicality that most courses never teach.
Most ASL instruction focuses on vocabulary and grammar. Language Between the Beats goes deeper — into rhythm, phrasing, timing, and the embodied qualities that separate fluent signing from truly alive signing.
Whether you are an interpreter working with music, a Deaf artist developing your craft, or a student who wants to understand ASL at a level beyond translation — this course was made for you.
How rhythm functions in ASL — and why timing is as meaningful as the sign itself. You will learn to feel the beat of a phrase, not just execute it.
The way breath shapes language in ASL — how to use the body's natural rhythm to give your signing presence, weight, and intention.
Moving beyond word-for-word translation into genuine interpretation — finding the emotional truth of a lyric and rendering it in visual language.
The difference between signing at a camera and truly inhabiting a space. How stillness, movement, and eye gaze create meaning before a sign begins.
What happens in the pauses. The rests. The moments of held breath — and why those moments are often the most powerful part of a performance.
Developing a signing voice that is distinctly yours. Not imitation — artistic identity. By the end, you will know what you sound like in ASL.
This course is built around real artists doing real work. We will study their performances closely — watching for rhythm, phrasing, presence, and the choices that make their signing unmistakably theirs. These are not examples. They are teachers.
A master of emotional depth and physical storytelling in ASL — his work reveals how presence and restraint create more meaning than movement alone.
Known for his lyrical precision and musicality, Joey's translations illuminate how rhythm and breath shape every phrase in visual language.
AV's work pushes the boundaries of what ASL performance can hold — blending cultural identity, artistic vision, and embodied rhythm into something entirely his own.
A performer whose signing feels like movement and music at once — we will study how he uses space, timing, and the pause to build tension and release.
Azora's strength is in embodying sound into visual vernacular — translating not just the words but the sonic texture itself into something you can see and feel.
Keene's artistry centers authenticity and creative freedom — his work asks us to consider what it means to truly make a song your own in a visual language.
These artists represent a range of styles, backgrounds, and approaches — because there is no single way to move in this language. The goal is not to sign like them. It is to understand how they move, so you can discover how you move.
This is not a beginner ASL course. Some signing experience is expected. If you are new to ASL, reach out before enrolling.
Not ready for the full course? A Studio Session is a one-time, focused workshop experience — a single deep dive into one aspect of ASL musicality, live with Rosa Lee.
Inquire About a Session →