PLAIN LANGUAGE STATEMENT
University of Melbourne
Faculty of Fine Arts and Music
Project: Teaching and Learning Adaptive Musical Instruments
Responsible Researcher: Dr Anthea Skinner
Email: anthea.skinner@unimelb.edu.au
Introduction
Thank you for your interest in having your child participate in this research project as part of Melbourne Youth Orchestras’ Adaptive Music Bridging Program. The following information will help you and your child decide whether they would like to take part.
Please read this information carefully. You may ask questions about anything you don’t understand or would like to know more about.
Your child’s participation is voluntary. If they don’t wish to take part, they don’t have to. If they begin participating, they can also stop at any time.
What is this research about?
There is currently limited information available about the best ways to support students with disability to learn a musical instrument and participate in music ensembles, especially if they require a specially designed or modified instrument.
To better support music students with disability and learn more about their needs, the University of Melbourne is teaming up with Melbourne Youth Orchestras to host an Adaptive Music Bridging Program. The Bridging Program is designed to help students with disability choose or adapt a musical instrument that is appropriate to their needs, and then provide specialised tuition to support their learning.
Our research will be used to continue improving the services we offer students with disability in the Bridging Program, and to provide information about how best to support music students with disability more broadly. The results will be published in academic publications and seminars, as well as articles and presentations aimed at music teachers, therapists, people with disability and their parents.
What will my child be asked to do?
If your child agrees to participate, we will invite you to accompany them to an initial assessment. We will discuss your child’s musical preferences and access requirements to find an instrument that meets their needs. This might be a standard instrument with minor adaptations or additional stands or braces, a commercially available adaptive instrument, or one designed by our team especially for your child.
Families will be expected to purchase their own instruments and associated equipment. Instrument prices vary, but in most cases the costs will be similar to purchasing a standard musical instrument. If our team needs to design bespoke instruments or equipment for your child, that equipment will be provided free or for the cost of component parts.
Once your child has chosen and obtained their instrument, they will be invited to take part in a series of small group lessons covering instrument technique, music literacy, music appreciation and ensemble skills. Lessons will take place on Saturday mornings. Sessions will initially last one hour, increasing to 1.5 hours as your child progresses, with a short break halfway through. If sessions of this length would be too tiring for your child, please let us know so we can develop a specialised program.
The number of lessons will depend on each student’s needs. Some may need only initial support to design appropriate stands or braces before returning to lessons at school or in a mainstream setting, while others may benefit from ongoing learning support. At the end of the program, students will be supported to find ongoing tuition in their chosen instrument and, if they wish, to prepare an audition for an ensemble within Melbourne Youth Orchestras.
To learn more about the best methods for supporting instrumental music students with disability, we will video record the initial assessment interview, music lessons and related Bridging Program activities such as concerts. Some videos will also be transcribed using Zoom audio transcription. The last 10 minutes of each lesson will involve a group discussion reflecting on the lesson and what students would like to see in future lessons.
What are the possible benefits?
Students participating in this study will receive a detailed assessment of the types of instruments that would meet their musical preferences and access needs. They will also have a chance to try a range of commercially available adaptive instruments before deciding which one to learn. All music lessons conducted as part of this pilot study will be subsidised.
As well as providing music tuition to participants, this study will benefit future music students with disability by improving understanding of their learning needs and the strengths and weaknesses of currently available adaptive music technology.
What are the possible risks?
Playing music is a physical activity and can sometimes cause minor injuries, such as blistered fingers or sore muscles. We will work with you and your child to ensure that the instrument they choose is suitable for their needs and does not further exacerbate any disability or medical condition.
There is also a small risk that participants will experience minor distress from frustration while learning new skills or from discussing previous experiences of inaccessible music education. Our team members are experienced in interacting with children with a wide range of disabilities and will work with you to ensure that the Adaptive Music Bridging Program provides a safe space for all its members.
Videos created during this study will be used in academic presentations. If you would prefer your child’s face to be blurred in these presentations, you may indicate this on the consent form. Your child’s name will not be mentioned in the research. However, because only a small number of people in Australia are learning adaptive musical instruments, it may still be possible for people to identify them through publications and presentations.
Does my child have to take part?
No. Participation is completely voluntary. Your child can withdraw at any time and can miss scheduled weekly rehearsals, although we ask that you notify us where possible if they will be away. However, group recordings of lessons cannot be withdrawn once they have been collected.
Will I hear about the results of this project?
We will send you a written summary of the findings. If you need the information in a more accessible format, you can let the research team know.
What will happen to information about my child?
Data from this project will be stored in a password-secured file on the University of Melbourne’s server and will only be accessible to members of the research team. We will keep recordings for 15 years after your child turns 18.
We are also planning more research on this topic and would like the option to include recordings and interviews in relevant future research. If further research takes place, we will keep your interview for a further five years after any publications, conferences or seminars. The consent form provides an opportunity for you to consent to interview data being used in future projects.
Who is funding this project?
This project is funded by an Australian Research Council Industry Fellowship (IE240100007).
Where can I get further information?
If you would like more information about the project, please contact Dr Anthea Skinner at anthea.skinner@unimelb.edu.au.
Who can I contact if I have any concerns about the project?
This project has human research ethics approval from the University of Melbourne (ethics ID 36684). If you have concerns or complaints about the conduct of this research project that you do not wish to discuss with the research team, please contact the Research Integrity Administrator, Office of Research Ethics and Integrity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010. Telephone: +61 3 8344 1376. Email: research-integrity@unimelb.edu.au.
All complaints will be treated confidentially. In any correspondence, please provide the name of the research team and/or the project name or ethics ID number.
