The Sound Design Project: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration of Music Therapy and Industrial Design

This collaborative project between an industrial design and a music therapy professor was conceived as a pilot project examining the principles of industrial design (product design) and the needs of music therapists for adapted equipment, particularly musical instruments. The need of a wide variety of clients for instrument adaptations to insure active participation is well documented. For this pilot project, industrial design and music therapy students were paired. The industrial design students observed the music therapy students working with their assigned client(s) and together created the adaptive equipment and musical instruments for the client(s) involved. The clients and the products created for them are reviewed and goal attainment explored. The authors recommend similar projects at other universities.