Breaking the Mold: Disabled Musicians’ Stories and the Future of Inclusive Music at Tomorrow’s MEC Seminar

Disability, Technology, and Changing the System: How Disabled Musicians Are Leading the Future of Music

Last year’s Disability Taking the Lead seminar, hosted by Drake Music Scotland as part of the MEC series, brought together musicians Claire Johnston, Ben Lunn, Sorcha Pringle, and facilitator Kris Halpin for a powerful conversation about the realities faced by disabled musicians — and the urgent need for change across music education and professional spaces.

The panellists shared their personal experiences of navigating a system often designed without disabled people in mind. From early discouragement to inaccessible assessment systems, the barriers were clear. As Kris Halpin noted, “The framework of the lesson and the approach to the instrument was completely rigid, and it was on me, as the young disabled person, to change to fit into that.”

Claire Johnston echoed this sentiment, observing that "Music lessons are offered to the children who are musical — whatever that means," underlining how narrow definitions of 'talent' often exclude disabled learners from the outset.

A key theme of the discussion was the importance of shifting from the medical model to the social model of disability — recognising that the barriers lie not within individuals, but within the environments and systems around them. Kris Halpin described the empowerment he found through using MiMu gloves: "That instrument learns me. Any movement—impaired or otherwise—can be any sound. That’s incredibly empowering."

Meanwhile, Sorcha Pringle reflected on how rigid assessments harmed her development: "Just because I couldn't write down a composition independently by myself, without playing it, I wasn’t a bad composer." These experiences underline how traditional pathways — from graded exams to classical training norms — often fail to recognise the creativity and potential of disabled musicians.

Beyond education, the conversation also turned to issues of identity and self-perception. Internalised ableism and systemic discouragement delayed many of the panellists from fully claiming their identities as professional musicians. "I spent years calling myself a 'music professional' because I couldn't own 'professional musician' — I had been told that meant something I could never be," shared Claire Johnston. Kris Halpin similarly admitted, "I wouldn’t have used the word disabled in college. I thought I could duck under the radar."

Yet through perseverance, creativity, and the development of accessible technologies, the speakers demonstrated that disabled musicians are not just adapting — they are subverting and reshaping the system itself. As Claire Johnston memorably put it, "Let’s stop trying to teach the fish to climb the tree."

The session ended with a call for cultural change: supporting disabled musicians must go beyond accommodations and toward genuinely rethinking how music is taught, assessed, and valued.

Looking Ahead: Musician + Instrument = Music

Building on last year's vital conversations, the 2025 MEC Seminar Series opens with a new event: Musician + Instrument = Music, hosted online in partnership with Drake Music Scotland on 30th April at 12 PM.

This session explores the relationship between performer and instrument, focusing especially on digital musical instruments. Technology isn’t just an add-on — it’s a means of unlocking new ways to create, perform, and experience music.

Facilitated once again by Kris Halpin, the panel will feature:

• Clare Johnston (iPad performer)

• Jessica Fisher (CMPSR player)

• Alessandro Vazzana (Clarion player)

• Rhona Smith (Digital Harp player)

  
  

The panelists will introduce their instruments and discuss public perceptions of using technology in musical performance.

As Ben Lunn put it in last year's discussion: "Everyone should have access to everything that is good and wonderful in this world." Events like this seminar are crucial steps toward making that vision a reality.

Reserve your spot now: Tickets are £15 for non-MEC members and free for MEC members. Book through the Music Education Council website.

Let’s continue to celebrate, amplify, and learn from disabled musicians who are not only breaking down barriers — they are building new worlds of sound.