MODIFICHE E CREAZIONE DI STRUMENTI MUSICALI IN FUNZIONE DI UN SETTING FRUIBILE DA PERSONE CON POSSIBILITÀ LIMITATE
The basic conditions needed in order to use an instrument according to musician are: versatility of use, flexibility and security of its placement
If we think about a musical instrument that has the ideal quality to be used in a functional way, we imagine one that is playable in whatever spatial position we place it; so horizontal, vertical, inclined and rotated in different angles, from the top down and vice versa, so that it can be placed in whichever height in order to be played in a comfortable and safe way .
A concrete example is the sonic island.
It is the result of an experience created to solve a practice problem, which ended with the realization of a structure that allows the use of many musical instruments and different objects in a comfortable, safe and “functional” position.
The therapeutically experience is described in the following chapter “Nicholas, the drummer in the sonic island”.
The sonic island, besides solving the already detected problems, shows a great potential in terms of possibilities of use.
The starting point of this project, it’s a stand that sustains the pad and the accessories of the electric drums, normally available on the market.
It is suitable for this purpose and its size is adequate.
Next step is finding some joints that allow the hanging of drums, cymbals, and why not, even the xylophone, the metallophone and other percussion instruments.
These joints are also available on the market as accessories for acoustic drums.
Here the structure takes place and a customized drum can be build, made of many adjustable pieces; that also has a professional aspect.
Nic, who can’t play a “conventional” drum, can literally enter the drum with his chair and, once in, he can find the different components to the right height.
The numerous possibilities offered by this structure derive from the possibility to attach and suspend basically everything: percussion instruments, cymbals, chimes, many pieces of Orff’s instruments, bells, and everything that can be functional to the setting.
One of the most interesting possibilities is that of allowing a comfortable and functional use of the instruments to patients that can play seated on a chair or on the floor, by those who love to stand on their feet or to lay on the floor. It efficacy can be tested both during the single or the group sessions.
When it is used during the group sessions it is particularly useful to put it at the center of the setting using it as a “sonic island”.
Entering the studio, prepared with a sonic island, it comes as natural to walk around it and to stop in front of the chosen instrument.
The set of instruments placed in ways that re-create the fireplace, so the shape of a circle around the fire, that magic fire that is music, fueled and shared by every individual together with the others.
This creates, together with many more, the advantage of keeping an eye contact with everyone, besides the sonic one.
