Musicians Breaking Barriers
Bringing universal access to the universal language
The Problem:
just
7%
of disabled youth are involved in their local musical groups
67%
of disabled people cite finances as a barrier to accessing music
only
27%
of music education Hubs provide adapted equipment in their instrument loan services
according to Youth Music's "Reshape Music"report
OUR PURPOSE
Musicians Breaking Barriers is a non-profit project aiming to increase access to music for disabled youth, through providing grants to fund the purchase of specialized adaptive equipment.
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Too often, disabled youth are unable to pursue their interest in making music because their desired instruments are not structured in a way that works for their bodies. There is custom adaptive equipment that can help, but many families do not pursue it because of high costs and a lack of resources for locating a physician who can help with such niche needs. Especially since equipment designed solely for playing music is not considered necessary for "activities of daily living", it is more difficult for families to justify the cost and acquire coverage from insurance.
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Musicians Breaking Barriers (MBB) aims to bridge that gap through our grant program.
WHAT WE DO
ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT
The creation of adaptive musical equipment requires a connection between three parties: the person in need of equipment, the specialized healthcare professionals who engineer equipment, and the professional musicians who can advise on an instrumentalist's unique needs. MBB connects grantees our network of professional musicians and instrument repair technicians to make this collaboration possible.
FUNDING
All donations raised contribute to a grant fund for a disabled youth musician to purchase adaptive equipment for instruments, or pay for the cost of adapting an instrument itself. We work with those already acquainted with music as well as those interested who were never before given an opportunity.
ADVICE FROM PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS
MBB is connected to a nation-wide network of professional musicians who can collaborate with our team to advise you on how you can access your musical community. We also offer consultation services for music education professionals on how to make their classrooms, ensembles, and studios accessible to disabled students.
KNOWLEDGE
MBB's team is dedicated to being informed on the most up to date standards and tools for accessibility and adaptation. If you are at the intersection of music and disability and are unsure of how to move forward, we know or know how to find out!
