The Virtual Music Teacher: Children of all abilities banding together in early childhood music education

与正常发育的同龄人相比，残疾儿童不太可能参加音乐学习。学习演奏一种乐器对残疾和非残疾儿童，特别是学龄前儿童，具有积极的社会和健康益处。由于时间安排、资源和无障碍障碍，许多年幼的残疾儿童无法从音乐课中受益。一个可以让残疾儿童在家学习早期音乐的虚拟音乐老师可能会克服这些障碍。我们将开发一个音乐应用程序（AI-MiRMA），它可以智能地响应儿童使用现实生活中的乐器（例如沙球）的游戏，并指导他们学习音乐。AI-MiRMA将与客户、家庭、治疗师、音乐治疗师、工程师、游戏开发者、荷兰布鲁维儿童康复医院的研究人员以及多伦多大学和亨伯学院的音乐教育工作者共同创建。新的方法来跟踪孩子的音乐演奏，鼓励学习和小组游戏，并使音乐任务适应不同的身体能力将被创建。我们将对15名脑瘫儿童（3-6岁）及其家人进行AI-MiRMA测试，以了解：(i)幼儿在家中使用AI-MiRMA是否可以达到最小的音乐制作训练剂量

Children with disabilities are less likely to take part in music learning than their typically developing peers. Learning to play a musical instrument can have positive social and health benefits for children with and without disabilities, especially in the preschool years. Many young children with disabilities are unable to benefit from music lessons because of scheduling, resource, and accessibility barriers. A virtual music teacher that can engage young children with disabilities in early music learning at home may overcome some of these barriers. We will develop a music application (AI-MiRMA) that intelligently responds to childrens play with real-life musical instruments (e.g. maracas) and guides them in music learning. AI-MiRMA will be co-created with the community of clients, families, therapists, music therapists, engineers, games developers, and researchers at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and music educators at the University of Toronto and Humber College. New ways to track a childs music play, encourage learning and group play, and adapt musical tasks to diverse physical abilities will be created. We will test AI-MiRMA with 15 children with Cerebral Palsy (aged 3-6 years) and their families to understand: (i) if young children using AI-MiRMA at home can achieve the minimum dose of music-making training expected to impact outcomes (i.e. 6 hours over 10 weeks), (ii) if it contributes to family-led goals in music learning and participation, and (iii) what families think about the risks and opportunities of using artificial intelligence to support young childrens music learning. AIMiRMA will put music learning and its benefits within reach of thousands of young children with and without disabilities. Sharing AI-MiRMA will happen first at Holland Bloorview, then through our partnering organizations, the Ontario Association of Childrens Rehabilitation Services, Humber, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and TVOKids.