Introduction This study investigated attitudes (intrapersonal, interpersonal, and communal) toward, and uses of, music among people with visual impairments compared with those who are sighted to investigate the potential of music as a means of communication and social expression. Method A total of 137 participants (63 visually impaired, 74 sighted) were recruited from six cities in South Korea. Participants, aged 20 to 39 years, were asked to complete a 30-question survey on music attitudes and use, which was distributed (electronically, by post, by telephone, and in person) between June 2013 and February 2014. Results The response rate was 87%. Attitudes toward music showed that visually impaired participants demonstrated significantly higher (more positive) values than sighted participants on interpersonal and communal survey dimensions ( p < .05). The groups demonstrated similar results regarding intrapersonal attitudes, which received the highest scores of all three categories. Visually impaired participants mainly accessed music from home via portable devices or computers, whereas sighted participants used music most frequently at their homes or in cars. The most significant difference between groups was that music was involved in the majority of leisure time for visually impaired participants, but not for sighted participants. Discussion Higher attitude scores in the intrapersonal category from both groups imply an important role of music, with its emotional and affective aspects, in self-expression. Findings indicated that visually impaired participants utilized music mainly for self-amusement despite perceiving it as an interpersonal and communal tool, most likely due to social restrictions. Implications for practitioners The role of music in the lives of visually impaired individuals could be expanded to provide more group opportunities, hands-on experiences, enjoyable outdoor activities, and psychosocial coping strategies. Group music programs should be considered in order to expand interpersonal and communal experiences for both visually impaired and sighted individuals.

BACKGROUND: While a number of studies have tested the therapeutic effectiveness of playing musical instruments, such as the electronic keyboard using Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), it is still unclear whether outcomes of electronic keyboard playing are related to hand function tests. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between MIDI-keyboard playing and hand function tests, including grip strength, Box and Block test (BBT), and Jensen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHF). METHODS: A total of 66 stroke patients were recruited from medical centers and were classified into acute (n = 21), subacute (n = 28), and chronic (n = 17) recovery stages. The participants' mean age was 60.5 years. The MIDI-keyboard playing protocol based on sequential key pressing was implemented. All hand function tests were performed by certified occupational therapists. RESULTS: MIDI scores from participants at all three recovery stages were significantly correlated with BBT and grip strength. Overall, MIDI-keyboard playing scores demonstrated moderate to high correlations with hand function tests except for participants at the chronic stage and the JTHF, which showed no correlation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that MIDI-keyboard playing has great potential as an assessment tool of hand function, especially hand dexterity in acute and subacute stroke patients. Further studies are needed to refine the specific keyboard playing tasks that increase responsiveness to traditional hand function tests.

The purpose of this study is to examine in depth the lives of visually impaired professional musicians via the life history method. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews with eight visually impaired professional musicians. The data analysis considered three facets of life history proposed by Mandelbaum: dimensions, turning points, and adaptations. The dimensions of life (families, schools, private music teachers, and performance groups) were analysed first. The turning points of life involve accepting and overcoming an impairment and choosing to major in music. Adaptations to life involve persevering in a harsh social environment, living as an impaired musician, aspiring to a successful career as a professional musician, and learning from vigorous musical activities. Most participants suggested that families and performance groups are the most important dimensions of their lives. With respect to turning points, choosing to major in music has enabled the participants to accept and overcome the difficulties associated with being visually impaired. Through adaptation, the participants appear to have found their value, role, and meaning both as members of society and as professional musicians. This implies both the importance of expanding performing opportunities for visually impaired musicians and the importance of acknowledging their professional activities, affording visually impaired musicians better livelihoods by offering them more fulfilling roles in the field of music along with significant, long-term public support.

In music listening, limitations on visual experience affect a listener’s abstract information processing and conceptualization of the music. The aim of this study is to examine the differences in emotional responses to music between adults with visual impairment (VI) and adults with normal vision (NV). By using specific, emotion-inducing music reflecting happiness, sadness, anger, and fear, this study considers factors such as music emotion identification, emotional valence, arousal, intensity, and musical preference. A total of 120 participants (60 VI and 60 NV) listened to sixteen 15-second music excerpts and reported which emotion and to what extent they perceived it, using a self-reported music emotion evaluation scale. The results indicated that both of the groups showed high congruence in music emotion identification. However, the VI group showed significantly higher arousal, intensity and preference for sadness, while showing the lowest score for the intensity of fear. The main factor affecting emotion identification was preference for the VI group, and valence for the NV group.

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