Disabled musicians embrace virtual reality – BBC News

“I used to play an instrument all the time and then I thought it was over for me, but it was really just the beginning.”

Christine Williamson talks about life before a brain aneurysm.

It caused him to lose some functions on the left side of his body.

A Dundonald woman feared she would never play a musical instrument again, but everything changed when she joined a unique band.

Christine was part of a music research program run by the charity Brain Injury Matters.

The research, based in Northern Ireland, uses virtual reality (VR) to allow musicians with disabilities to play specially designed virtual instruments.

Musicians with congenital and acquired disabilities use virtual reality headsets to transport them to a different world where they play their instrument of choice.

They use their hands to touch the light and tap different virtual instruments to make different sounds.

Virtual reality tools can morph into different shapes and sizes.

“When I put the headset on, I see the harp in front of me and I can lean forward and play it, it’s class,” he said.

Another member of this group is Mary Louise McCord, who has cerebral palsy.

He communicates with the help of his computer and eye technology.

The virtual reality controller allows him to perform upper body movements to create his own music.

“Sometimes my hands don’t behave the way I want them to, and I love the options and freedom that VR gives me to experience whatever instrument I want,” he said.

“It gives me opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

This project is a collaboration between Queen’s University Belfast and Drake Music Northern Ireland.

The musicians use specially designed digital instruments developed by Queen’s PhD researcher Damian Mills.

“Musicians use spatial audio technology to immerse themselves in a different reality, creating interesting results,” he said.

The group recently used their virtual reality musical instruments to perform alongside the Ulster Orchestra as part of the Belfast International Arts Festival.

The new Belfast campus of the University of Ulster (UU) was the venue and they were joined by the UU Acoustics Group.

Christian Williamson’s family and friends came to watch him perform with the world-famous orchestra.

“I just had to pinch myself when I was performing with the orchestra,” he says.

A member of the VR Musician group took me on such an amazing journey.

Mary Louise McCord also played with Christian and the Ulster Orchestra.

“Yes, there are still stereotypes and stigmas about different abilities in the arts,” he added.

But projects like this show it’s getting better.