MELODY AND HARMONY FOR ALL
Inclusive Design in Music
Growing up I felt like a 70's baby. I listened to all of the oldies I could get my hands on.
The Beach Boys. The Monkeys. Elvis. Toto... Mind you, I was actually born in the late 90’s. When I got to second grade, I could not wait for my hands to be “big enough” to play the piano so that I could finally
start making music, too. In high school I joined nearly all the musical groups that my school had to offer. Not to suggest that I was ever any good at it, because I definitely wasn’t. But, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed being able to express emotions in ways that almost felt more tangible than words...
...I took it for granted that I could. The thought never crossed my mind that there would be a
reason I couldn’t participate in music. And yet it is such a blatant reality for so many. Developmental disabilities,
lost or missing limbs, paralysis or even age-related issues like arthritis can all make playing
music the way I was able to nearly impossible.
- Tessa
"MUSIC BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER..."
We asked our musician friends what music means for them and what a disability might change. Their responses are nothing short of inspirational.
THE WORK
The question we started asking ourselves is what can be done about this? How can music be made accessible for all types and shapes of people, especially those with disabilities?
As we did a little research it turned out there are a lot of ways. From one-handed flutes, to stands that allow musicians to play a cello with their feet, to digital tools that track the facial movement of their users, there are many solutions out there. We wanted to celebrate a few of these adaptations that not only make music possible for those who couldn't play but also make it better for those who already could.
THE FUTURE IS LOOKING GOOD
New products like these are being designed and presented to the public every day, and organizations like the UK-based charity OHMI are what make it all possible. The Clarion, Jamboxx, and MERU stands were each a winner of the annual competition sponsored by OHMI that centers around the design of musical adaptations for disabilities. If you are curious about other products that have won the contest, or are interested in possibly submitting your own designs, you can check out their website here.
WHY INCLUSION?
At this point you might be saying to yourself, "Yeah, it’s great to make the creation of music accessible to everyone, but in the scope of the world’s problems, should it really be high on the importance list?" We agree that inclusive instrument design can’t hold a candle to some world problems like global warming and access to clean water, but it is an important and largely unnoticed inequality that can be easily corrected through better design. There are thousands of these little inequalities in things we encounter everyday--from handheld can openers, to buildings inaccessible by wheelchair, to instruments that require both arms and 10 fully functional fingers to play--much of our world excludes anyone who deviates from “normal”.
This is particularly important in the creation of music, because making music can be such a huge part of what makes life good. It is self-expression that transcends language and culture, and is a channel for countless emotions. It is a source of joy and pride--who hasn’t felt good when praised after a concert or given a high five after belting out their favorite song? It gives a sense of significance and self-esteem because everyone has music in their soul that only they can express.
These benefits are available to people of all abilities when designers consider the constraints of extreme users to develop new solutions. Designing to these constraints leads to innovation for all, and is what defines inclusive design. If interaction design is the design of products and services through which people can interact with each other, then any sort of inclusive instrument design is good interaction design--it enables people to engage and communicate with each other through music, regardless of ability. And in our book, at least, any design that provides an opportunity for everyone to communicate and feel joy is an important step for social justice.
