Music on the tip of your nose

A computerised instrument that allows people to play music with the tip of their nose could give people with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, the chance to experience music's positive effects.

Not only could the interface allow for musical communication, it could also be adapted for speech, giving people with a physical disability the ability to form full sentences, rather than just providing 'yes' or 'no' responses.

"This instrument will give a voice to those who are all too often ignored, due to their physical disability," says Zane Van Dusen, a recent graduate of computer science and electronic media arts and communications at

New York State.

Van Dusen developed the interface with Pauline Oliveros, a musician and arts professor at Rensselaer.

Cerebral palsy is a neurological disorder that permanently reduces muscle coordination. As a result, people with the disorder often feel mentally imprisoned by their inability to speak or move.

Music offers a way to break out of the bonds of a physical disability because it gives patients a means to express themselves, the researchers say.

Unfortunately, current music tools are limiting.

Most tools restrict input to a joystick on a wheelchair, which can be expensive to add or modify; they may require wires or cables that impede or even distract a person; and not all music therapy allows for a broad range of creativity.

Van Dusen's 'adaptive-use musical instrument' overcomes these challenges with an inexpensive webcam and specialised computer software, which he wrote.

How does it work?

A person sits in front of the computer, where he or she sees a live video of their face through a webcam.

Motion-tracking software places a red box on the tip of the person's nose and tracks the user's movement across an onscreen keyboard.

The lowest notes are located to the left and the highest notes are located to the right.

The outline of a rectangle around the person's face also appears on screen, which relates to the types of sounds the person can make.

For instance, the rectangle can be widened or narrowed in order to accommodate the patient's range of motion.

In keyboard mode, the person stays within the rectangle, touching on keys to make notes.

In percussive mode, the person can move outside the rectangle to set off a snare drum or cymbal sound.

In a pilot study at Rehabs Program in Poughkeepsie, New York State, children who used the instrument paid more attention to their movements because they were motivated by the sounds they were creating.

One nine-year-old child spent an hour creating a song, even though it required a lot of effort.

"The added benefit of all of this is that the children are working on their head control," says Leaf Miller, a professional musician and an occupational therapist at Rehab Programs.

Affordability is also an issue, she adds.

"The cost of the hardware and software is not going to be expensive and that makes it accessible," says Miller. "It can also be adapted for speech language pathologists to use for communication."

The team will be working to perfect the prototype and create additional interfaces for an organisation that fosters a unique approach to music, literature, art and meditation.

They hope the interface might offer a way for otherwise frustrated patients to express the song they have on the tip of their nose.

Additional information :

From abc.net.au:
The Music Therapy program at Chapman University provides students an opportunity to pursue the Bachelor of Music degree.
In addition to music therapy courses, including placements, students take courses in special education, social work and health science. The program.
Then, transcripts are analyzed to determine applicability to the music therapy program. For example, music therapy students must take a course.
The purpose of this study is primarily to assess the ability of a music therapy program to improve holistically the psychological, somatic.
If you have a specific degree program in mind like Music Therapy, this is the search for you. Pick from several main degree.
The Music Therapy program at Capilano offers the third and fourth years leading to. Continuance in the Music Therapy program will be contingent.
Students seeking to enter the music therapy program must complete. Students in the Bachelor of Music Therapy program take an applied.
And now Singapore is the first in Southeast Asia to offer the Music Therapy program. Find out how a global spread of the music therapy.