First of all, please explain your role and what you do (or at least what you were doing outside of the current shutdown!)
Hi I’m Jess, I’m a Junior content creator for Digit, an audio production company making assistive hardware, software and content.
Recently I have been training as a music leader for a skills training course I am co-developing using Soundtrap, a web based music creation software. I have been learning to teach people how to use the software; from setting up Soundtrap for the first time, right through to how to create musical patterns. The course is to encourage more disabled people to work in the music and wider creative industries.
I have also been working with other artists which has enabled me to grow in taking more leadership roles.
How did you start working in the music industry?
My journey began in 2015 when Inspire Youth Arts came to my school to teach us how to play and perform music with iPads. After a lot of hard work we performed at the BBC Ten Pieces Proms at the Royal Albert Hall the following year. Being on that stage is where my passion for working in the music industry exploded!
Control One, a digital DJ and music making controller invented by Digit, really opened up the door for me to start my professional career and since then I’ve had the pleasure of working for Digit to embrace this further.
Do you think there are ways in which having lived experience of an impairment or health condition helps you in your role?
Yes, especially when you’re working with someone who identifies as disabled or has a health condition. Straight away I am able to go in with a different mindset. Rather than focusing on the disability, as sadly people do because it’s what society has taught us, I can think, how would I want to be taught to give the best possible experience in this type of circumstance.
What do you think the music industry could do to be more accessible to Deaf and disabled people who want to work in music?
First of all I think people who identify as disabled in the music industry should come together to make a plan to show people in the music industry how we all individually want and need to be treated because I think the word disabled can sometimes create an issue, where we all get put into the same box and treated the same, but we’re not, we’re all different, so I think this conversation is incredibly important.
For the deaf community I would love more research to be done directly with them about what they want, but also make people like myself more educated on how they view music and how best we can help explore this important topic.
What advice would you give to other people with impairments or health conditions who want to get into the music industry?
I would say don’t try and hide who you are because that’s what makes you incredibly unique and that could impact someone else’s life. If you’re not getting the support and advice you need to start your journey, shout make your voice head, because if you work hard and are passionate about making music you deserve to be creative regardless of any disability or health condition. As long as you can do it, why should a disability matter?
