From Foundation stage to year 6, children will be taught a variety of music at school and outside of school. If there is a bit of uncertainty, it’s worth reminding teachers that the curriculum must be inclusive. If the whole class are learning an instrument, special attention needs to be paid to the options for a Reach child.
Musical instruments can be a challenge for some Reach children and we are here to help, as is OHMI who are a rapidly growing organisation and key partner to Reach.
Simple solutions are;
- Hire a one-handed recorder from Reach to get your child started on the road – schools often fund the annual hire charge and our lovely instruments are simple to use. Hire forms can be downloaded here and payment made online.
- Buy a one-handed Ocarina from Reach – great for the younger musicians.
- Brass instruments can be played one-handed or with a foot, with the addition of a stand to hold up the trumpet, horn etc. Click here for inspiration from Felix Klieser.
- Ask your local limb centre to help craft a prosthetic or gadget that will enable the wearer to play guitar, violin, cello, viola etc. See Xander’s prosthetic below for an example.
- Guitar can be played in a number of ways – just take a look at two Reach members Xander and the Peace Pirates and Tina Bridgeman who use very different techniques to produce different sounds.
- Check out Nicolas McCarthy on the piano
- There are many Assistive Music Technology solutions for those with bi-lateral upper limb difference – just listen to this beautiful piece. and don’t forget to contact the One Handed Musical Instrument Trust (OHMI) who have a wealth of knowledge for adapted instruments and technology to try.
- Valerie Peters is a music teacher from California who has a blog where musical instrument adaptions are shared – take a look http://www.anotherwaytoplay.org
Start them early!
For other places to look for guidance, ACPOC in the US have some interesting information, although the article is dated 2018.