Creating space for facilitated music performance: gesture controlled sound for users with complex disabilities

Dickens, Amy; Greenhalgh, Chris; Koleva, Boriana

Abstract

Musical interactions have the potential to increase emotional well-being, self-confidence and self-motivation. However, the ability to actively participate in creative activities involving music performance has so far been difficult for users with complex disabilities.

This paper discusses placing a technology probe, using gesture based musical controls, in an existing music technology project for users with complex disabilities (conditions which affect both cognitive and motor abilities of an individual). The focus is on understanding the needs of this user group in a participatory design approach for creative music technologies that allow for tailored accessibility.

Outcomes from this research show that many multi-level social interactions surrounding the technology, users, audience, and any third party facilitators exist in the context of ‘facilitated performance’. Results suggest that including facilitators in the design of Digital Musical Instruments (DMIs) could allow for improved accessibility for users with complex disabilities.

Citation

Dickens, A., Greenhalgh, C., & Koleva, B. (2017). Creating space for facilitated music performance: gesture controlled sound for users with complex disabilities.

• Conference Name: Audio Mostly 2017
• End Date: Aug 2, 2017
• Acceptance Date: Aug 23, 2017
• Publication Date: Aug 23, 2017
• Deposit Date: Oct 4, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 4, 2017
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Embodied Interaction, Facilitated Performance, Gesture Sensing, Human Computer Interaction
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/878956
• Publisher URL: doi:10.1145/3123514.3123518
• Related Public URLs: http://audiomostly.com/; https://dl.acm.org/
• Additional Information: Published in: AM'17 Proceedings of the 12th International Audio Mostly Conference on Augumented and Participatory Sound and Music Experiences, London, United Kingdom, August 23–26, 2017. New York : ACM, 2017. ISBN 978-1-4503-5373-1. Article no. 23