Music is a powerful tool for personal growth, community building and creative expression. Yet, children with disabilities often have limited access to artistic and cultural activities.

In Japan, several organizations are working to change this, providing specialized lessons, developing accessible instruments and creating spaces for children to challenge themselves musically.

Here are 10 organizations spreading the joy of music, making music accessible for all.

1. White Hand Chorus

White gloves with fingertips of light trace the feeling of sound in the air. Combining a signing section with a vocal section, White Hand Chorus brings together children with diverse abilities  — including those who are deaf and blind — to express music in powerful ways.

Through “shuka,” (or “hand song”) musical compositions are creatively interpreted using sign language, facial expressions and body movement.

With choruses in Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa, performances by White Hand Chorus shed light on how music is much more than sound.

2. Tsunagari Music Lab

A “train bass” guitar controlled by toy trains and other specially designed instruments have been put to the test at Tsunagari Music Lab. Located in Tokyo and Hyogo, this music school tailors its lessons to each child’s creative curiosities. Using a combination of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and music therapy, children here learn not only how to play instruments but also how to focus, communicate and develop a positive sense of self.

Regular concerts such as the “Hitokiwa Music Festival” give children the opportunity to confidently take to the stage.

3. Kawasaki Drake Music Project

Playing a violin with elbows and feet is not impossible with the Kawasaki Drake Music Project.

This collaborative project between Kawasaki City, the British Council and Drake Music, a national arts charity based in London, is demonstrating how music technology and the power of imagination can make music accessible. Young musicians work with professionals at special education schools to create exciting new works, develop accessible instruments and perform with exciting technologies.

In 2021, the “Kawasaki Suite” was composed and written by musicians with disabilities and performed by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra.

4. Melodyco Macaron

Melodyco Macaron was born out of the desire to make music accessible to families who often feel excluded from traditional concert venues. Led by Ayaka Kawabata, a musician with 20-plus years of experience, children work with professional musicians to nurture their dreams.

Original ballets, musicals, classical instruments and singing are presented at concert venues in Karuizawa, where the families of children with disabilities or the elderly can comfortably enjoy music together.

5. Agora Music Club

Taiko (Japanese drums), piano and dance can be explored at Agora Music Club in Nara. Here, music therapists and community volunteers work with children and adults to nurture a love for creative expression while developing the mind and body.

Local performances and festivals at venues such as senior care facilities give a chance for students to share their growth. Their second Donhyara Mini Concert (どんひゃらミニコンサート) took place in early September 2024.

6. Agenda Yamagata

Piano, percussion or vocal lessons exploring seasonal songs, classical music and J-pop can be experienced at Agenda Yamagata in Yamagata Prefecture.

Instructors guide children to understand their instruments, learn music theory and read sheet music, building musicality while working through physical and emotional challenges. Taking part in group workshops, children build social skills while communicating with others through music.

7. Heart Talking Music Studio

At Heart Talking Music Studio in Setagaya,Tokyo, children as young as 1 years old learn through musical play.

Born from the desire to help mothers through the challenges that may arise when raising children, founder and music therapist Miyuki Nakai envisioned a space where both mom and baby could find comfort through music — much like the calming effect of a mother’s lullaby. Music therapists and musicians guide workshops and live performances for families with disabilities, teaching songwriting or practicing physical exercises for playing an instrument.

8. Fukuoka Music for Everyone School

Fukuoka Music for Everyone School invites children and adults to experience the joy of music.

Representative Ueno Kaname is a former music educator at Boston Higashi School in the U.S., working with children from kindergarten to high school with autism. Lessons for saxophone, trombone, trumpet or percussion are available in English and Japanese. In the near future, students taking individualized lessons will be able to join the school’s new jazz ensemble.

9. Music Sharing

Empowering children to go beyond physical limitations, Music Sharing shares the joy of music with schools, hospitals and institutions across Japan.

Founded by renowned Japanese-American violinist Midori Goto, various programs expose children to instruments they may not have had access to otherwise. The traditional Japanese music division provides koto, sho, hichiriki, and ryuteki experiences while the Western classical music division offers string, wind, brass or percussion opportunities.

Children at special education schools are given the opportunity to take music lessons and join the orchestra. Since 2016, they have been organizing annual public concerts, performing at major venues such as Suntory Hall and The National Art Center, Tokyo.

10. Otoasobi (Sound Play) Project

Musical experimentation, improvisation and self discovery are at the forefront of Otoasobi Project in Kobe.

Formed in 2005, this collective brings together music therapists and musicians with and without disabilities to freely explore instruments, sound objects, movement and storytelling. Powerful sonic expressions are captured on the 2021 studio album, OTO, and the 2022 documentary film, Whereabouts of Sound. The group has performed across Japan and the UK, and their journey has been broadcast as a documentary on NHK.

These organizations may be framed with terms such as “welfare programs” and “sustainable development goals,” but at the heart lies a society that celebrates individuality and breaks down the barriers to creating and experiencing the joy of music.

© Japan Today