With a body to hear

Abstract

This project explores the different modalities of listening through the act of co-creation with Hard-of-Hearing individuals. Using a practice-based framework, I aim to compose music that can provide a musical experience for hard-of-hearing individuals. Creative sessions with three participants with cochlear implants between the ages of 11 and 13 are used to explore how music can be created for Hard-of-Hearing individuals. The initial active co-creation was changed to include more passive co-creation after the first session, when the participants showed a disconnect with the creation of music. The creative process then moved to creation by the researcher and feedback from the participants. The pieces of music I created were then played back for the participants. Changes that could be made to these pieces of music to make them easier to listen to were then made after each playback. Following these collaborative sessions with the participants, the process of reflection is used to explore the reasons for their responses to the different pieces of music and how more pieces can be created. It is found that there are aspects of instruments and their vibrational qualities that need to be taken into consideration when creating a piece of music for Hard-of-Hearing people, and that visual representations of music can be used as an additional means of creating a musical experience.