We are inviting disabled artists and arts educators to be guests and guest hosts on ABLE Voices. Today's guest host, is Tara Allen.

Tara Allen (she/her) identifies as a queer, neurodivergent, and disabled music psychologist, music educator, advocate, and bass clarinetist. She holds a BM in instrumental music education with concentrations in instrumental wind band and bass clarinet from the Crane School of Music (2021), and an MA in psychology of music from the University of Sheffield (2022). Her master’s thesis, “The Bees Are Too Loud!: ADHD’ers Sound Preferences as an Aid Daily Task Completion" focused on how ADHD’ers used sound and/or music to help cope with completion of mundane tasks, and the combined social hardships. Her research areas of interest are: neurodivergence and music perception/cognition, learning, processing, behavior, and accessible music education. She has been advocating for neurodivergent and disabled musicians through a variety of platforms since 2020. She has a podcast, Breaking the Third Wall in Music, that invites disabled and/or neurodivergent musicians to discuss disability topics in the music scene. She has also spoken on the The Brave New Sound and Marching Arts Education. She has also given talks at universities, conferences, and organizations about neurodivergence. Lastly, she is a bass clarinetist and active performer in a variety of contemporary, classical, and popular music ensembles. Today, Tara will be speaking to Ethan W. Atterson.

Ethan W. Atterson is a researcher, conductor, and disability rights advocate based in Indiana. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in Orchestra Conducting at Ball State University, where he is graduating in the spring of 2023 with a Bachelor of Science and Music with a focus on composition. During his time at Ball State, Ethan has performed in several ensembles, including the Pride of Mid-America Marching Band and Concert Choir. In spring of 2025, he undertook an innovative research project aimed at expanding adaptable conducting techniques for musicians with disabilities. A paper detailing his findings will be published this spring. Ethan has been featured in news articles about his research, including coverage by Ball State University blogs and Inside Indiana business, which also aird on local television. He plans to further his research by incorporating assistive technology in the future. Ethan's other interests include humanitarian leadership and community building using musical ensembles as a platform.

The ABLE Voices podcast is produced and edited by BIAAE Operations Coordinator, Daniel Martinez del Campo. The introduction music was written by Kai Levin and the ending song was written by Sebastian Batista. Kai and Sebastian are students in the Arts Education Programs at the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education.

For more information about our programs visit us at https://college.berklee.edu/BIAAE

Follow us for more weekly updates at:
Instagram: @BIAAE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BIAAE