Latest news with #disabledmusicians
CBC
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
How Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and more disabled artists changed music
From unique guitar chords to sign singing, we explore the innovations of disabled musicians Cripping is a term used by disabled people to reclaim how they see themselves. As Eliza Chandler, an associate professor at TMU's School fo Disability Studies writes,"animated by the experiences of living in a world that does not typically desire us, or even imagine us as cultural participants, disability arts specifically mobilizes a disruptive politic.... the disability arts community doesn't want to be included in an ableist world/culture, we want to create something new. This disruptive politic comes through the word 'crip.'" When it comes to music, an industry that often treats disabled musicians and spectators alike as an afterthought, they've taken matters into their own hands. In a co-production between CBC Music, CBC Creator Network and AccessCBC, composer, performer and comedian James Hamilton takes viewers through the different ways disabled musicians have innovated, or "cripped," music. "Disabled musicians, by simply existing and being artists, can radically change the music world as we know it. This can be in the concert form, musical content, new technologies, or breaking down our definition of what music entails," Hamilton says in the introduction. Two such musicians are Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, who were both disabled by the polio epidemic that swept Canada in the 1950s. After losing some of the mobility in her hands, Mitchell changed the tuning on her guitar to make it easier to play, and simultaneously changed the sound of the chords, leading to her signature "jazzy" guitar sound. Young recorded his 1972 album, Harvest, in a back brace after an accident on his ranch in the Santa Cruz mountains. The restrictive apparatus could have led to his "more mellow and minimalistic style," limiting his ability to play guitar and sing. More recently, ASL rapper Sean Forbes is popularizing sign-rapping with his songs like Watch These Hands, and Toronto-based composer Stephanie Orlando is writing music with neurodivergent listeners in mind. Both are making space for more diverse music audiences. Watch the video above for more insights into the myriad ways people are "cripping music."
BBC News
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Bournemouth disabled-led orchestra 'removing barriers'
A violinist says playing in a disabled-led youth orchestra is "a way of proving we are good enough".Cass Alabaster plays the violin and viola in the Bournemouth ensemble of the National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO).He said performing in the group has meant having his needs as someone with a disability "understood and accepted".Cass is set to perform with the national ensemble at the Lighthouse in Poole during a special livestreamed concert at 15:00 BST on Saturday. He travels from Gosport in Hampshire to Bournemouth to play and says navigating life with a disability can feel "embarrassing"."My last orchestra tried to send me upstairs, that wasn't really an option because I'm physically disabled," he explained."Disabled musicians, you don't have to expect them to be worse - just because they're disabled."[NOYO is] a way of proving we are good enough to be in other people's ensembles and worth the extra work of finding accessible routes or other accommodations for." At least 80% of the NOYO musicians are people with disabilities or neurodivergent, says programme manager Bea orchestra started 10 years ago and has grown to five regional ensembles across the UK, working with disabled and non-disabled musicians between 11 and 25 years old."The idea was to remove barriers for individual musicians who have got disabilities, we wanted to get people playing together - regardless of their disability," Ms Hubble explained. The performers use acoustic, electronic and accessible instruments, which Ms Hubble says may not be "traditionally found" in an include a LinnStrument, Seaboard RISE and the clarion, which some musicians play through an iPad with eye or head Hubble added: "We're here to show people it is possible, it can be done and it brings amazing results." You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
