Technologies for Accessibility and Inclusion in Rhythm and Harmony

Dr Simon Holland and Dr Nicholas Canny Open University, UK, Dr Brian Condon, UK

We present two strands of research, both aimed at enhancing musical inclusion. The first, focused on rhythm, has particular relevance to d/Deaf and deafblind people. This strand uses the Haptic Bracelets — motion-sensing wireless vibrotactile bracelets attachable to each wrist and ankle. Haptic guidance can be transmitted to each limb in real-time, from a live player also wearing bracelets, or from a sequencer, or musical co-ordinator. The bracelets can be used to guide individual users in playing rhythmic patterns that require multi-limb coordination, or to guide and co-ordinate a group of players each playing their own rhythm in synchrony. Preliminary work with profoundly DeaF Music educator Sean Chandler to explore the inclusion of d/Deaf people in collaborative music making is outlined. Formative work with a Samba band is described.

The second strand, focused on harmony, uses a system (Harmony Space) which enables users who do not read music or play an instrument to compose harmonic sequences, perform them live, and to spatially analyse the harmony of pieces they like, to better understand how harmony works. Because of the nature of the system, people with disabilities are not at a disadvantage in performance and composition activities: this due firstly to its embodied spatial representation, and secondly because of its family of accessible user interfaces which include dance mats, game controllers and simple pointing devices. Three case studies are outlined: work with Italian school children, preliminary work with a disabled musician at Drake Music Scotland, and work with a guitarist (one of the authors) who lost use of a hand in a sailing accident. The principles behind a pluckable prototype guitar-based version are discussed. This version interfaces with a normal steel-strung guitar with an add-on hexaphonic midi pickup, together with a SoftStep foot controller, allowing allow one-handed players to use the system to perform complex chord sequences.