Alessandro Vazzana plays the clarion in a National Open Youth Orchestra (NOYO) rehearsal. Photo: ©NOYO.
Launched on 4 November, The Guide to Buying Adaptive Musical Instruments is the only one of its kind in the UK. It brings together the latest innovations in adaptive and digital instruments, with practical options to suit a wide range of needs – from onehanded recorders to conductors’ batons for the visually impaired.
Last published in 2020, the guide has been commissioned by social enterprise Creative United and compiled and published by the Inclusive Music Consortium (IMC) – a group of specialist organisations committed to making music education and the wider music industry more accessible and inclusive for disabled people.
The guide is hosted on a newly launched website for the Take it away scheme – a Creative United initiative that breaks down financial barriers to music-making. Funded by Arts Council England and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the scheme has already helped many thousands of UK customers to finance the purchase of a new musical instrument with the benefit of an interest-free loan.
A collective resource for inclusive music-making
The Guide to Buying Adaptive Musical Instruments has been developed as a shared resource, drawing on the expertise, insight and lived experience of the IMC’s members.
The guide brings together information on:
- Adapted acoustic instruments
- Versatile electronic instruments
- Prototypes and custom designs
- Links to inclusive retailers, organisations and funding support.
The resource is not intended to be exhaustive. Instead, it aims to show what is possible, encourage creativity and experimentation, and signpost disabled musicians and their families to support and advice.
Accessing the guide
The Guide to Buying Adaptive Musical Instruments is now free to download via takeitaway.org.uk/accessible-instruments.
The website features an interactive map of over 100 music shops offering a range of instruments, equipment, technology and tuition, available to buy with an interest-free loan, including two retailers specialising in adaptive instruments.