Developing a MAP (Music Adaptation Plan) for teaching adaptive musicians

Dr Deborah Amend, Northern Kentucky University, USA and Jennifer Petry, USA

As an adaptive music instructor, each student you work with has unique needs in regard to how they play their instrument.  Developing a Music Adaptation Plan (MAP) as a method for collecting data for the purposes of ongoing instruction and advancement for the student is one method to systematically approach instruction and can remove barriers for future music teachers that the student may encounter. Having a detailed teaching plan can help teachers feel confident in including and adequately educating the adaptive student. The MAP can guide the student's instruction and adaptations as they progress through more advanced studies and expand the number of instructors invested in their musical development, giving the student the personalized teaching they need while making sure information is not lost when the student moves to more advanced ensembles or teachers. Presenters will share the structure of a MAP and the rationale for each section. The presentation will cover MAPs applied to piano, strings, and brass. Attendees will go away with simple principles to apply to adaptive instruction that can form the basis for developing their students' technical skills, providing a method to document adaptations to the instrument, the manner in which the student is connected to the instrument, and strategies for developing technique. ​