SEM Disability and Deaf Studies 

In order to conduct socially responsible research and cultivate relationships of reciprocity, we must also endeavor to form collaborative partnerships among subdisciplines within ethnomusicology. Our roundtable draws upon various interdisciplinary projects that address larger social issues around questions of health, wellness, Deafness, and disability. Using expertise from the areas of holistic healing practices, film studies, music pedagogy, and health sciences, the discussants analyze how we can leverage interdisciplinarity in order to to address bigger questions, systems, and structures. Our first panelist presents a theoretical infrastructure and methodology based on experience in substance abuse recovery communities, outlining the importance of moving beyond paradigms of healing as a form of correction to nonnormative ways of being. Our second presenter addresses the deficiencies of accommodations in the music classroom past elementary age and demonstrates how instrumental prosthetics expand musical and social access to encompass diverse learners. Utilizing a theoretical perspective from film studies, our third participant outlines the necessity of supporting people with intersectional identities by examining social systems connected to Deafness, mental health, and race. Our final discussants address music in dementia caregiving relationships through the lens of an interprofessional research team including ethnomusicologists, physicians, and health scientists. The presenters discuss how disability studies frameworks and ethnomusicological methods offer important perspectives to health sciences research. Ultimately, our roundtable outlines better pathways of access and support, demonstrating how interdisciplinary partnerships can lead to better care and social change.