{"id":106706,"date":"2024-08-08T10:47:44","date_gmt":"2024-08-08T14:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=106706"},"modified":"2024-08-08T10:55:05","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T14:55:05","slug":"report-tap-tap-new-device-blind-low-vision-musicians-game-changing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/08\/08\/report-tap-tap-new-device-blind-low-vision-musicians-game-changing\/","title":{"rendered":"REPORT | Tap-Tap: A New Device For Blind &amp; Low Vision Musicians Is Game Changing"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_106708\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106708\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-106708\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-NEWS-42.jpg\" alt=\"L-R: A student and teacher from the Filomen M. D\u2019Agostino Greenberg Music School (NYC) test out the Tap-Tap device; Carleton PhD candidate Leon Lu, designer of the Tap-Tap; the device\u2019s details (Photos &amp; diagram courtesy of Leon Lu)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-NEWS-42.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-NEWS-42-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-NEWS-42-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-NEWS-42-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-106708\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">L-R: A student and teacher from the Filomen M. D\u2019Agostino Greenberg Music School (NYC) test out the Tap-Tap device; Carleton PhD candidate Leon Lu, designer of the Tap-Tap; the device\u2019s details (Photos &amp; diagram courtesy of Leon Lu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A Carleton University student\u2019s PhD dissertation may just make a transformative change for blind and low vision musicians. Leon Lu\u2019s device, the Tap-Tap, allows them to replace the non-verbal cues they can\u2019t follow with vibrations they can.<\/p>\n<p>So far, the device has been tested with students and teachers in a real world setting with positive results.<\/p>\n<h3>The Issues<\/h3>\n<p>There are several barriers to music learning and performance for blind and low vision musicians.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Most of the cues, such as the conductor\u2019s baton, and reading music scores, are visual;<\/li>\n<li>In ensembles, musicians connect to the music and each other through movement as well as sound;<\/li>\n<li>Interpreting such non-verbal cues becomes difficult.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In short, studying and performing music as a whole become challenging, and full participation is often not possible.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_106709\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-106709\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-106709\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-62.jpg\" alt=\" Students and teachers from the Filomen M. D\u2019Agostino Greenberg Music School (NYC) test out the Tap-Tap device designed by Carleton PhD candidate Leon Lu (Photos courtesy of Leon Lu)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-62.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-62-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-62-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-CRITICS-PICKS-62-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-106709\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students and teachers from the Filomen M. D\u2019Agostino Greenberg Music School (NYC) test out the Tap-Tap device designed by Carleton PhD candidate Leon Lu (Photos courtesy of Leon Lu)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Leon Lu and the Tap-Tap Project<\/h3>\n<p>Leon Lu is an Information Technology PhD student at Carleton University, whose work centres around accessibility, learning, and with a particular focus on creativity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe often think about accessibility in terms of basic human needs like getting from point A to point B or accessing information. But what about having access to the things that make life more enjoyable and meaningful?\u2019\u201d says Lu in a <a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.carleton.ca\/story\/the-tap-tap-blind-low-vision-musicians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Carleton University news story<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMusic and creativity, some may argue, are not necessarily things that everyone needs to have access to. But in my mind, they are extremely important aspects of the human experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As part of researching his PhD dissertation, he\u2019d hear from low vision and blind musicians, and learned about non-verbal cues and their role in music. The tap-tap device comes from those conversations. One musician told him that they\u2019d sometimes ask a follow musician to tap on their shoulder as a cue to start playing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The device uses wearable haptic technology, which sends signals as vibrations;<\/li>\n<li>It is worn around the ankle by music students and their teachers;<\/li>\n<li>When they tap their heels together, it sends a vibration signal to the other, allowing for communication.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The two people who wear the paired tap-tap devices can then develop their own code to communicate different ideas via vibrations. It can work in a way that\u2019s similar to Morse code.<\/p>\n<p>Below, a student and teacher from the Filomen M. D\u2019Agostino Greenberg Music School test out the Tap-Tap device. The Tap-Tap, designed by Carleton PhD candidate Leon Lu, makes music learning more accessible for blind musicians.<\/p>\n<p>Video by Cindy Yifan Hu<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7IdnhZdhdmo?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>The Device<\/h3>\n<p>Leon had help with the project, including Canadians Aino Eze-Anyanwu, an undergraduate student in industrial design, and Rodolfo Cossovich, an information technology PhD candidate. Chase Crispin, a blind musician and teacher in Lincoln, Nebraska, acted as a consultant.<\/p>\n<p>The device has several advantages, even aside from the simple fact that it works.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It features a simple construction that involves a small circuit board, sensors, and a radio component, along with a small motor that generates the vibrations.<\/li>\n<li>Other than that, it consists of straps and Velcro.<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s a very low cost solution, in other words.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Students and teachers from the Filomen M. D\u2019Agostino Greenberg (FMDG) Music School in New York City, a specialized music school for blind and low vision students, tested the prototype of the device for an eight week period. The devices were used with violins and pianos, as well as in vocal study.<\/p>\n<p>The results were positive, with most students and teachers reporting that the device proved helpful. In particular, it resulted in practical outcomes, such as reducing the number of times a teacher stopped the lesson to explain something \u2014 elements which were now being conveyed via vibrational signal.<\/p>\n<h3>Next Steps<\/h3>\n<p>Leon Lu is back in his home base of Toronto, where he\u2019s been analyzing the data from the FMDG Music School to finish his thesis.<\/p>\n<p>Once he\u2019s graduated, Lu would like to make the tap-tap an open source design so that it can reach as many people as possible. His hope is that blind and low vision music students and teachers will find it useful.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? 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Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:anya@ludwig-van.com?subject=Let's%20chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><u>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em><b>#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid=S3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid%3DS3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1695737525351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QTqKRwRJQFGK3KoJYigxX\">HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Carlton University student Leon Lu&#8217;s PhD dissertation may just make a transformative change for blind and low vision musicians.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":106708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[40967,22,4967,39,9570,63],"tags":[159,5072,2304],"yst_prominent_words":[12563,38134],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/08\/Copy-of-NEWS-42.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-rL4","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106706"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=106706"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106706\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":106714,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/106706\/revisions\/106714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/106708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=106706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=106706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=106706"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=106706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}