About the Kean–CAU Collaborative: Equity Through Sound – Accessible Music for All

 

Since 2015, the Kean University Music Department and Community Access Unlimited’s Academy of Continuing Education (ACE) have partnered to present a collaborative concert series that centers the musical voices of adults with developmental and physical disabilities. Part of a growing movement in inclusive and accessible arts, this project reflects the power of shared music-making to build confidence, connection, and joy.

 

Each year, ACE members join Kean students, faculty, alumni, and local school partners in creating original and adapted performances. Activities have included singing, percussion, rock band, and radio baton technology, and have recently expanded into group songwriting and digital composition.

 

To date, the collaboration has produced nine public concerts and outreach events involving ACE, Kean, and K–12 schools across multiple districts.

The work has been shared at regional and international conferences (ISME, NAfME, Columbia University), supported by university and arts grants, and recognized by Community Access Unlimited and the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly.

 

The program continues to evolve. In 2023, the focus expanded to concert accessibility, bringing live music to day programs and schools for individuals with disabilities, allowing ACE performers to share their talents with new audiences. In 2025, Kean/CAU was named an Ambassador Program by the International Alliance of Accessible Music Making.

 

Looking ahead, the collaboration is exploring new innovative directions, including the integration of Lou-hi instruments (https://www.lou-hi.com/en) —flexible, sensor-based tools designed for inclusive, gestural music-making. These instruments expand creative possibilities for participants with varying mobility and sensory profiles and align with the project’s core values: access, expression, and community. Together, these efforts are helping to prepare a new generation of music educators while affirming that music belongs to everyone.