Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- Growing up , Austin Chapman was mystified by people 's reaction to music . He would poke fun at those around him who abandoned their composure to sing their favorite song or twirl around a dance floor . When someone wept at the tune of a ballad , he was bewildered . To him , music sounded `` like trash . '' Until this summer , Chapman , a 23-year-old filmmaker , was able to hear only a distorted version of music in the form of bass and mid-tones through his old hearing aids . When he was just 9 months old , his parents learned that he was born `` profoundly deaf , '' and he was immediately fitted with his first listening device . It helped , but he was unable to hear anything clearly . Until now . It was nearly midnight July 6 when he was able to hear his first song in its entirety : Mozart 's `` Lacrimosa . '' Fitted with a new pair of hearing aids for the first time in years , Chapman was sitting in a car with his close friends and remembers the moment vividly : `` I was blown away by the beauty of it . At one point of the song , it sounded like angels singing , and I suddenly realized that this was the first time I was able to appreciate music . Tears rolled down my face , and I tried to hide it . But when I looked over , I saw that there was n't a dry eye in the car . '' Chapman just acquired the newest technology in hearing aids because his health coverage under his parents ' insurance plan was about to expire . He had been skeptical and reluctant to update his devices , but his parents urged him to investigate any improvements in the technology . `` I decided to give it a shot because a lot can happen in four years . It was one of the best decisions of my life , '' Chapman said . `` I can hear much higher tones than before . It is also much louder and clearer . I actually have to keep my hearing aids at about 70 % power-volume most of the time . '' Now Chapman is blogging about his experience on his film website , ArtoftheStory.com , and on the social news site Reddit in a post entitled `` I can hear music for the first time ever , what should I listen to ? '' More than 14,000 responses came , with people sharing their favorite songs and recommending all kinds of melodies for Chapman to experience for the first time . Some readers posted links to YouTube videos of their favorite tunes . Others provided long lists of tracks and artists . And some just left messages letting him know they were touched or inspired by his story . `` I am blown away by all the feedback , '' Chapman said . `` I 'm currently organizing the most popular comments and suggestions and will be posting them soon . '' Among them : `` Three Little Birds '' by Bob Marley , `` Paranoid Android '' by Radiohead and `` Brain Damage '' by Pink Floyd , some of his current top songs . Chapman 's favorite songs . The most-suggested track was `` Bohemian Rhapsody '' by Queen , which he described as a masterpiece . `` I was nervous that the hype would ruin it for me , '' Chapman said of the 1975 hit . `` I was wrong . '' Chapman , who studied creative writing and film at Pepperdine University , is a lifelong movie buff who even learned how to lip-read by matching up actors ' lips with the subtitles . Being able to add music to his arsenal as a filmmaker is the most exciting part of the discovery , he said . He even started working with a composer on a short he shot several months ago . `` It 's ironic , because when I shot this short , I never in a million years thought I would be able to work on the soundtrack . Now , a few months later , I 'm sitting next to my friends , layering different tracks , '' Chapman said . Now , when he sees someone singing along or dancing to the rhythm of a beat , he smiles in sympathy . `` I understand how it could have such an impact on the listener , '' he said . But on his personal blog , he pointed out that he still enjoys the absence of sound . `` When I turn my aids off , my thoughts become more clear and it 's absolutely peaceful , '' he wrote . `` I hope that one day hearing people get the opportunity to experience utter silence . '' I listen to color : Device turns colors into audio .
Deaf filmmaker Austin Chapman , 23 , buys hearing aid before losing his parents ' insurance . Comment: I'm deaf and have been for a while now The first song he enjoys in its entirety is Mozart 's `` Lacrimosa '' 14,000 posts on Reddit recommend all sorts of music .