How losing his hearing helped the Antlers' Peter Silberman make music

When Peter Silberman first realized he was suffering from hearing loss, he didn't give up on making music. Instead, he wrote his first solo album outside of his band, the Antlers, called Impermanence. 

"I had to decide early on that it wasn't a punishment," he reveals. "I had to look at it as an opportunity to change the way that I write and change the way that I perform [...] That seemed to be the only way to motivate myself." 

It was not the easiest process — Silberman's sensitivity to sound meant that it was painful for him to do everyday tasks like washing the dishes or closing a door — but he eventually learned to embrace space and silence. 

"I'm less afraid of space now," he says, even though he is gradually recovering. "I'm lucky to be given another opportunity to do this."  

Below are the songs mentioned in today's interview: 

'Karuna'

'Maya'

— Produced by Elaine Chau