The Prospects of Musical Instruments For People with Physical Disabilities

Jeppe Veirum Larsen, Dan Overholt, and Thomas B. Moeslund

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract:

Many forms of enabling technologies exist today. While technologies aimed at enabling basic tasks in everyday life (locomotion, eating, etc.) are more common, musical instruments for people with disabilities can provide a chance for emotional enjoyment, as well as improve physical conditions through therapeutic use. The field of musical instruments for people with physical disabilities, however, is still an emerging area of research. In this article, we look at the current state of developments, including a survey of custom designed instruments, augmentations / modifications of existing instruments, music-supported therapy, and recent trends in the area. The overview is extrapolated to look at where the research is headed, providing insights for potential future work.

Citation:

Jeppe Veirum Larsen, Dan Overholt, and Thomas B. Moeslund. 2016. The Prospects of Musical Instruments For People with Physical Disabilities. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.1176056

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{Larsen2016,
 abstract = {Many forms of enabling technologies exist today. While
technologies aimed at enabling basic tasks in everyday life (locomotion, eating,
etc.) are more common, musical instruments for people with disabilities can
provide a chance for emotional enjoyment, as well as improve physical conditions
through therapeutic use. The field of musical instruments for people with
physical disabilities, however, is still an emerging area of research. In this
article, we look at the current state of developments, including a survey of
custom designed instruments, augmentations / modifications of existing
instruments, music-supported therapy, and recent trends in the area. The overview
is extrapolated to look at where the research is headed, providing insights for
potential future work.},
 address = {Brisbane, Australia},
 author = {Jeppe Veirum Larsen and Dan Overholt and Thomas B. Moeslund},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.1176056},
 isbn = {978-1-925455-13-7},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 pages = {327--331},
 publisher = {Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University},
 title = {The Prospects of Musical Instruments For People with Physical Disabilities},
 track = {Papers},
 url = {http://www.nime.org/proceedings/2016/nime2016_paper0064.pdf},
 year = {2016}
}