1. Richard Rieser, Coordinator UK Disability History Month
Music and Disability

2. ‘Music is the language of the soul
‘Music is the language of the soul. To express ourselves we have to be vibrating, radiating human beings!’ Alasdair Fraser
This year UKDHM is exploring the links between the experience of disablement in a world where the barriers faced by people with impairments can be overwhelming.
We find the creative impulse, the urge for self expression and the need to connect to our fellow human beings often ‘trumps’ the oppression we as disabled people have faced, do face and will face in the future.

3. Egyptian Harp
Landini C14th
Heike Biwa C12th Japan
Delius
Diane Schuur
Juanita Dranes
Blind Boy Fuller
Art Tatum
Stevie Wonder
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Victoria Oriewari
Al-Nourwal Amal Orchestra
George Shearing

4. Deafness and Music Lara Steward Beethoven Smetana Janine Roebuck
Sean Forbes
Many Harvey
Beethoven’s Nightmare
Deafness and Music

5. Physical Impairment and Music
CeDell Davies
Johnny Rotten
Joni Mitchell
Wyatt
Varetta Dillard
Doc Pomus
Physical Impairment and Music

6. Metabolic and Mental Impairment
Berlioz
Holst
Schumann
Mozart
Lili Boulanger
Derek Paravinci
Tom Wiggins
Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd
Ian Curtis
Metabolic and Mental Impairment
Zulu P Rappers

7. Negative Disability stereotypes are continually recycled in lyrics, librettos, and scripts
Obsessive Avenger
Fun
Pity
Freak
Fear/Evil
Burden
Asexual
Hansel& Gretel
Esmeralda
Hansel & Gretel
La Traviata
GRAEAE ‘s
Reasons to Be Cheerful challenges stereotypes
Igor in
Young Frankenstein

8. Hopeful Signs Deaf Rave Drake Music
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Resound Ensemble
Deaf Rave

9. Tragic But Brave
Just a way to ease the boredom.
Propaganda all around.
Swallow all the spiel he’s given,
deliverance so easily found.
He smiles for the cameras, never
wears a frown, until the lights go down.
You know he’s Tragic but Brave.
And he knows that Jesus saves.
And he could be whole,
If he could just hold his hand.
You know he‘s Tragic but Brave
And he’s so well behaved,
And he thinks it’s all a part
Of some eternal plan, cos he’s
a sinful man.
And he looks at the crowd on the TV news,
With their wheelchairs, their sticks and guides. They are brandishing banners.
They are pissing on pity.
They celebrate difference with pride
And something moves inside.
Tragic But Brave Show Barbara Lisicki, Ian Stanton and Johnny Crescendo 1988
Dennis McQueen sings
Tragic but Brave by Ian Stanton