Adaptive Learning Application Form

2025 Adaptive Music Bridging Program Application

The Adaptive Music Bridging Program is a free program run in conjunction with researchers at the University of Melbourne to help us understand how to best support music students with disability. This research will involve our team video recording rehearsals and other program events. If you have any questions about this research, you can contact the lead researcher Dr Anthea Skinner at anthea.skinner@unimelb.edu.There is no audition or set selection criteria for the program and participants will be selected at the discretion of Dr Anthea Skinner and her team.

Before proceeding with the application form, please read the Participation Information document below.

Participant Information

Name(Required)

First Last

Preferred Name

Date of Birth(Required)

Gender(Required)

Female

Male

Non- Binary

Prefer not to say

Preferred Pronouns

eg. she/her, he/ him, they/them

Are you of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin?(Required)

Age as of 1 January 2025(Required)

All applicants must be between 8 and 14 years old by 1 Jan 2025

Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Email(Required)

Confirm Email(Required)

Parent/ Guardian Name(Required)

First

Parent/ Guardian Phone Number(Required)

Emergency Contact Name(Required)

First

Emergency Contact Phone(Required)

Emergency Contact’s Relation to Applicant:(Required)

Instrument experience

Do you play a musical instrument?:(Required)

Yes

No

Which instrument/s:

Please describe any accessibility problems you have had playing that instrument:

Briefly describe the nature of your disability:

(Please focus on the way your disability might affect music making – we don’t necessarily need an exact diagnosis. Examples might include: Hard of hearing, especially in low ranges. Quadriplegic with no use of hands and limited lung capacity. Severe anxiety in new situations. Difficulties with coordination particularly affecting speech and fine motor control.)

How did you hear about MYO’s Adaptive Music Program?

Plain Language Statement

Introduction
Thank you for your interest having your child participate in this research project as part of Melbourne Youth Orchestra’s Adaptive Music Bridging Program. The following information will provide you and your child with further information about the project, so that you can decide if they would like to take part in this research.

Please take the time to read this information carefully. You may ask questions about anything you don’t understand or want 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.

In order 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 them with 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 of this research will be published in academic publications and seminars, as well as in articles and presentations aimed at music teachers and therapists and people with disability and their parents.

What will my child be asked to do?
Should your child agree to participate we will invite you to accompany them to an initial assessment where we will discuss your child’s musical preferences and access requirements in order 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. While lessons in this program are provided free of charge, families will be expected to purchase their own instruments and associated equipment. Instrument prices vary, however 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 to learn instrument technique, music literacy, music appreciation and ensemble skills. Lessons will take place on Saturday mornings and consist of two one-hour sessions with a half an hour break in between (if sessions of this length would be too tiring for your child, please let us know and we can develop a specialised program).

The number of lessons will depend on the needs of each student. Some may just need 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 the instrument of their choice, and if they wish, to prepare an audition for an ensemble within the Melbourne Youth Orchestra.

In order for us to learn more about the best methods for supporting instrumental music students with disability, we will video record the initial assessment interview, the music lessons and related Bridging Program activities such as concerts. 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 get a chance to try out a range of commercially available adaptive instruments before deciding which one to learn. All music lessons conducted as part of this pilot study will also be provided free of charge.

As well as providing music tuition to participants, this study will also benefit future music students with disability, by enabling a better 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, like blistered fingers or sore muscles, however we will work with you and your child to ensure that the instrument they choose is suitable to their needs and does not further exacerbate any disability or medical condition.

There is also a small risk that participants will experience minor distress, as a result of frustration with learn new skills, or from discussion of previous experiences of inaccessible music education. However, our team members are experienced with 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.

The videos created during this study will be used in academic presentations. If you would prefer that your child’s face be blurred in these presentations, you may indicate this on the application form. Your child’s name will not be mentioned in the research, however as there are only a small number of people in Australia learning adaptive musical instruments, it is possible that people still may be able to identify them through publications and presentations.

Does my child have to take part?
No. Participation is completely voluntary. Your child is able to withdraw at any time, and can miss scheduled weekly rehearsals (although we ask that you notify us, if possible, when they’ll 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 summary of the findings in a written form. Alternatively, if you have a particular request about a more accessible format for the information, you can let the research team know.  

What will happen to information about my child?
Data from this project will be stored on a password secured file on the University of Melbourne’s server that will only be accessible by members of this research team. In keeping with the University of Melbourne’s Data Policy, we will keep recordings for 15 years after your child turns 18. We are also planning more research on this topic, and so we would like to have the option to include recordings and interviews in any relevant future research. If further research takes place, we will keep your interview for a further 5 years after any publications or conferences/seminars take place. The application form provides an opportunity for you to consent to your interview data being used in future projects.

Who is funding this project?
This project is funded by an internal grant from the University of Melbourne.

Where can I get further information?
If you would like more information about the project, please contact the researcher: Dr Anthea Skinner 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 2022-23824-29206-3.

If you have any concerns or complaints about the conduct of this research project, which you do not wish to discuss with the research team, you should contact the Research Integrity Administrator, Office of Research Ethics and Integrity, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010.

Tel: +61 3 8344 1376 or
Email: researchintegrity@unimelb.edu.au.

All complaints will be treated confidentially. In any correspondence please provide the name of the research team and/or the name or ethics ID number of the research project.

Please download the Plain Language Statement document for future reference .

Plain Language Statement

Please acknowledge that you have read and understand the Plain Language Statement(Required)

I acknowledge and agree to the information outlined in the above Plain Language Statement

University of Melbourne Research Consent

Project: Teaching and Learning Adaptive Musical Instruments
Responsible Researcher: Dr Anthea Skinner
Email: anthea.skinner@unimelb.edu.au

1. I consent to my child’s participation in this project, the details of which have been explained to me, and I have been provided with a written plain language statement to keep.
2. I understand that the purpose of this research is to investigate teaching and learning techniques for instrumental music students with disability.
3. I understand that my child’s participation in this project is for research purposes only.
4. I acknowledge that the possible effects of participating in this research project have been explained to my satisfaction.
5. In this project my child will be required to participate in Adaptive Music Bridging Program activities including instrument assessment and rehearsals.
6. I understand that my child’s participation in the Adaptive Music Bridging Program may be audio and video recorded.
7. I understand that my child’s participation is voluntary and that they are free to withdraw from this project anytime without explanation or prejudice and to withdraw any unprocessed data that they have provided.
8. I understand that the data from this research will be stored at the University of Melbourne and will be destroyed 15 years after my child turns 18.
9. I have been informed that the confidentiality of the information my child provides will be safeguarded subject to any legal requirements; their data will be password protected and accessible only by the named researchers.
10. I understand that videos recorded as part of this research may be used in academic presentations, but that my child’s name will not be used. If I would prefer that my child’s face be blurred in video presentations, I will indicate in the application form.
11. I understand that after I submit the application, it will be retained by the researcher.

Please download the Research Consent Information document for future reference .

University of Melbourne Research Consent

Please acknowledge that you have read and understand the Research Consent information(Required)

I acknowledge and agree to the information outlined in the above Research Consent

Further Information

Would you prefer your child’s face to be blurred in video presentations?(Required)

No

Yes

Would you like to be contacted about future research projects on this topic?

Yes

No

Please read MYO's Privacy Policy before proceeding.

MYO's Privacy Policy

By submitting this application, I acknowledge I have read and understand MYO's Privacy Policy(Required)

I acknowledge and agree to MYO's Privacy Policy

2025 Adaptive Music Bridging Program Application

Instrument experience

Education

Plain Language Statement

University of Melbourne Research Consent

Further Information