https://helenjournal.org/december-2023/notes2blocks-making-learning-music-accessible-to-all
Music was one of the first forms of human communication transmitted through aural practices of passing musical sounds through the generations, and ancient artwork indicates that it may have even pre-dated language. Science-based research has confirmed that music can be a powerful neural transmitter in the brain. Musical notation, given its complexity in the Western tradition, can be a challenge to learn and is generally an inaccessible language for persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
To help those who are unable to read traditional notation, Music Therapy Gateway in Communications (MTGIC), a nonprofit organization that advocates for biomedical music protocols to be mainstreamed into healthcare and education, has developed a unique visual music notation system called Notes2Blocks. By matching a simple color grid on the chart with a color-coded key on the keyboard, persons who are physically or developmentally disabled can follow the charts to play music. The app was unveiled at the Chattanooga Autism Center's annual conference in September 2023 and is now available on the MTGIC website as a free resource.
