Práticas musicais com alunos surdos na extensão universitária: acesso e participação

Expressive languages provide opportunities for making meaning for people with alterations in speech and language. This study presents a report on a music project that was carried out with deaf students aged 4 to 18 years. The research project was developed in 2014 by an undergraduate student of Education with five groups of deaf students in a university extension program. The actions included conversations about music in home; physics experiments intended to “make sound visible”; construction of musical instruments in four categories (idiophone; membranophone; chordophone and aerophone); musical improvisation; experiments with intuitive musical notation and George Self’s notations. The results showed that despite their initial concerns about being unable to do music and their resistance when invited to participate, the deaf students were fully able to use tools, and build and decorate instruments. They engaged in rhythmical activities, and in imitation of familiar rhythmical dances. The project valued participation and explored accessible ways to participate in musicking.