A few weeks ago I attended a local music education workshop and the topic of adaptive music came up. The presenter mentioned Walter Chesnut, and as I had never heard of him, I decided to do some research. Walter Chesnut was a beloved trumpet professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA. When a … Continue reading The Chesterhorn
Author: ValerieThomforde
MERU Instrument Stands
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
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
