Musical opportunities for young children who are deaf or hearing impaired – Call for information

I am doing research on musical opportunities for young children who are deaf or hearing impaired and I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience in this form of early years provision. Please do get in touch!

Music4U is a new music partnership, covering York, East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, and led by the National Centre for Early Music. The partnership is funded by Youth Music and is part of Musical Inclusion (MINC), supporting children and young people in challenging circumstances.

To fulfil the MINC programme requirements, Music4U is undertaking a research project focused on musical opportunities for deaf children, aged 0-5 years. As part of this research, we are seeking examples of best practice in this type of early years provision. We are interested in better understanding a) how these activities meet the needs of the children and their families/carers, b) what the outcomes are, and c) how we can encourage deaf children to continue their enjoyment of music as they get older. In addition, we would like to identify new and emerging trends in musical provision for deaf children, especially those using technology.

I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who would like to share their ideas and experiences. Please contact me via email at afhanson@live.com

Annabel Hanson, Music4U Music and Hearing Research Project Co-ordinator