Ethan Atterson perspectives song as an exquisite conduit for human connections. And carrying out an orchestral ensemble … neatly, that’s magical, Mr. Atterson mentioned.
However that magic may just’ve eluded him if he centered only on what he can’t do as an alternative of what he can do. Mr. Atterson has restricted arm mobility, brought about via Duchenne muscular dystrophy, making it a problem for him to make use of a baton as a song conductor.
Difficult? Perhaps. However now not unimaginable. With some lend a hand, Mr. Atterson devised a strategy to habits song the usage of assistive era and a couple of variations. He’s doing the analysis and construction had to refine this system and manner.
Ultimately, he hopes this help and variations will probably be well known and obtainable so others with various bodily skills can enjoy the “magic” of carrying out. Analysis on incapacity inclusion in song with adaptive and assistive tech is the subject of Mr. Atterson’s grasp’s program venture on the College of Tune in Ball State College’s College of Fine Arts. He’s pursuing his Grasp of Arts stage with a focal point on song.
“Disabled other people exist within the classical song trade. We deserve so that you can have equivalent alternatives in that trade, and we should have the risk to end up ourselves as leaders,” Mr. Atterson mentioned. “And via researching new strategies and lodging, I think that opportunity may also be made to be had.
“It’s now not with regards to me and my professors. It’s about how this will likely have an effect on people on this box and the ones entering it,” he added.
Broadening Get entry to to Tune
Dr. Jon Truitt, affiliate director for educational affairs within the School of Music, concurs. He’s additionally Mr. Atterson’s graduate consultant.
“Increasing the arena of song and get admission to to song to as many of us as conceivable speaks extra to our project on the College of Tune and Ball State,” Dr. Truitt mentioned. “This era Ethan is looking for to increase will permit him and people going through identical demanding situations to precise themselves in a musical surroundings in some way now not conceivable earlier than—and allow them to guide different performers in a work of song.
“No longer most effective has he succeeded as an undergraduate scholar, he’s a a hit grasp’s scholar doing this in reality nice venture. This presentations how being open to other people and alternatives that can be other from what we’ve skilled can yield in reality good things,” Dr. Truitt added.
Having earned his Bachelor of Science stage in song at Ball State in 2023, Mr. Atterson began his 2d yr of his grasp’s program all over the 2024-25 Fall semester. As phrase of his grasp’s venture analysis spreads, new alternatives transform to be had to him—together with a call for participation to habits song with the Indiana College College of Medication’s orchestral ensemble at its Spring 2025 live performance. Mr. Atterson has approved that invitation.
His Paintings That Is helping Others
Together with his baton mounted to his eyeglasses and a pc set-up that permits the musicians to be guided via flashes of lighting on a display screen, Mr. Atterson conducts. The sunshine bursts are a pc utility’s visualizations of his motions made via his thumb at the pc’s touchpad. Mr. Atterson’s buddy, Benjamin Shrock, who’s within the clinical box, helped him increase the pc app.
The baton and the flashes of sunshine at the display screen be in contact musical course referring to timekeeping, pace, and gesture or expressiveness, simply as a conductor with extra arm mobility would. This assistive era and methods—that may be additional advanced—are very similar to the ones keen on a find out about carried out in the UK via a researcher who has cerebral palsy.
On the center of Mr. Atterson’s grasp’s venture are the sure tactics song affects people.
“What I feel is most beneficial about song is the way it is a chance to connect to people, particularly in these days’s society. We’re all on our telephones, in our little worlds, just about always,” Mr. Atterson mentioned. “Tune reminds those that, even all over tricky instances they could be going through, there’s something value dwelling for.”
His pastime for song dates again to his days of taking part in the trumpet in his center college’s band in New Citadel, Ind. Like many middle-school and high-school musicians round Indiana, Mr. Atterson attended Ball State’s band camp. All over his undergraduate years at Ball State, Mr. Atterson was once a member of the College’s band.
“Tune has allowed me to have one of the crucial highest studies in my lifestyles, and meet and hook up with other people I do not need met if I weren’t keen on song,” he mentioned. “A few of the ones persons are my highest buddies.”
Valued, Supported at Ball State
Feeling supported via and incorporated inside of one’s group may also be tough. Ethan Atterson mentioned he will get that at Ball State. School, group of workers, and Mr. Atterson’s friends give a boost to him in his instructional interests and private lifestyles.
“Ball State, total, has equipped me with top-notch college that has allowed me to get admission to very useful and insightful assets,” he mentioned. “And the College has an inclusive atmosphere that promotes a various ecosystem of other people and promotes fairness on campus.”
“I’m allowed alternatives to do analysis and to have suitable lodging. The College of Tune, particularly, has been in reality just right with that stuff and really figuring out of the issues I want,” Mr. Atterson added. “Ball State does a just right activity of keeping up its concept of beneficence, and I’m satisfied to be a Cardinal on account of that.”
