When I attended the OHMI Conference in September, I had the great pleasure of meeting Cara O’Sullivan and Hayley Philippault, two amazing representatives of the MERU Organization. MERU designs customized and ready-made products for people with disabilities, and they have created several stands for musical instruments. Last month they won two “Enabling Apparatus” awards for the … Continue reading MERU Instrument Stands
Author: ValerieThomforde
OHMI Conference
Last weekend I had the immense pleasure of attending and presenting at the first ever conference on Music and Physical Disability by the OHMI Trust. There was such a range of attendees: music educators, performers with disabilities, medical professionals, music and occupational therapists, computer programmers, developers of digital music technologies, and more. I left the … Continue reading OHMI Conference
Recorder +
Earlier this month I visited the Nuvo Instrumental office in Beverly, MA. They are creating a line of high-quality pre-band instruments and recorders. These instruments are designed to make wind instruments easier for children to play and learn. I think the applications for students with limb differences, low muscle tone, fine motor challenges, and other … Continue reading Recorder +
Renaissance Recorder
If you told me seven years ago that I would play Byrd’s Fantasia 2 in a Renaissance recorder consort, I wouldn’t believe you. But that’s what I did last Monday night! I recently got a Renaissance alto recorder in F, and as it was with my other recorders, it was a group effort to make … Continue reading Renaissance Recorder
Dean Zimmer at the Drum Set
Dean Zimmer is a rock drummer who lives in California. He was born with arthrogryposis, which means that he has a limited range of movement in his limbs. I spoke with Dean last week to learn more about his story and adaptive technique. Dean grew up in a small town in South Dakota. He attended … Continue reading Dean Zimmer at the Drum Set
