Living beyond words: post-human reflections on making music with post-verbal people

ABSTRACT

Background: This paper draws on a longitudinal ethnographic study of music-making with “post-verbal” people: those with stroke, learning difficulties, acquired brain injury, dementias or autism.

Methods: Using embedded observation, arts workshops, interviews with families and carers and focus groups with Music Leaders, the project traced how inclusive music-making happens with “post-verbal” people. It used post-human theory to illuminate and explore processes and benefits.

Results: This paper fuses the practical and theoretical aspects of making music with post-verbal people, to understand both how it happens, and, what it signifies. It shows how post-verbal people use music to communicate and demonstrate their capacities, and analyses how those working with them use music to foster a sense of inclusion and belonging.

Conclusions: By writing in collaboration across academia and community music practice the paper makes new and important contributions to both post-human thinking and capacities in learning, arts and health.

KEYWORDS:

• Music
• dementias
• stroke
• post-human
• post-verbal

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Arts Council England Research Grants Programme;