WDAV Spotlights Disability Employment Awareness Month

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the U.S., established more than 70 years ago to celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities. Throughout the month, WDAV highlighted classical musicians with disabilities who have left an indelible mark on the arts.

In addition to this on-air focus, we partnered with Davidson College students in Professor Neil Lerner’s seminar on music and disability studies to produce a blog series highlighting composers and performers with disabilities. We also turned to the community to discover what role music might play in serving individuals living with disabilities. We spoke with Meg Johnson, Music Therapy Clinical Coordinator for the Queens University of Charlotte, who provided insights into her use of music therapy.

Listen to Dr. Neil Lerner talk about his senior seminar at Davidson College:

Read the student posts on our blog:

Peter Whitehouse on Paul Wittgenstein and the Reception of a One-Handed Pianist

Dylan Morris on Doc Watson And The Blues

Hannah Thigpen on La Mer and Depression

Austin Bowley on Deafness and Rethinking Music

Ellis Coan on Django Reinhardt: Accommodating Ingenuity

Bayne Brannen on OCD and Repetition in Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8

Nancy Pruett on Music and Madness 

Listen to Meg Johnson on the benefits of music therapy:

Host Frank Dominguez spoke with Meg Johnson, Music Therapy Clinical Coordinator for the Queens University of Charlotte, about the objectives of music therapy, its role in working with people living with disabilities, and what she personally finds most meaningful about her work.