 Hazel Boyd Introducing Hazel Boyd
With her mechanical engineering expertise and an in-depth understanding of design for disabled people, Hazel Boyd certainly has the skills to make a difference in her role as OHMI’s Instrument Development Manager. The role of Instrument Development Manager at OHMI relies on a distinct set of talents, with an understanding of adapted musical instrument design, product development and process, and the ability to engage with instrument makers, musicians and teachers alike. Add to that the bespoking often needed for each musician’s needs and there exists a complex set of requirements. They are challenges that OHMI’s newest staff member, Hazel Boyd, is fully equipped to address. With a background in mechanical engineering, a PhD in the measurement of functional wrist motion and a 16-year background in working in design for disability, Hazel is arguably the perfect fit for the role. As she describes: “In my previous role at a national charity, I spent 16 years working in design for disabled people and I’m very interested in how people use things. By engaging with people and finding out what they wanted, we were able to implement a very iterative design process where subtle improvements were made at every stage whilst making sure we didn’t remove features without finding out if they were important.” Hazel’s experiences have also included 18 months of work in a music shop in Bristol to learn how to repair woodwind instruments. She first learned of OHMI’s work in 2024 when she was invited along to a NAMIR (the National Association of Musical Instrument Repairers) event where OHMI’s General Manager, Rachel Wolffsohn, was presenting on OHMI’s work. At the highest level, Hazel’s new role as Instrument Development Manager involves creating a long-term strategy for sustainable musical instrument development and implementation. The collection of data is critical to this process and, whilst OHMI has always gathered data, a more uniform, design-led approach will be an important step forward for the charity. It means that each instrument or piece of enabling equipment will have a product plan where any proposed changes have been fully discussed with both musicians and makers. It also means that the charity will be able to track the needs of each pupil, even if they change teachers or schools. At a more detailed level, the role involves connecting with makers on particular projects. This might include investigation into how to reduce manufacturing costs such as through 3D-printing of one-handed recorders. Similarly, how to improve a piece of enabling equipment to make it suitable for more instruments, such as adapting the bracket on a trumpet stand for use with the much smaller space-restricted pocket trumpet. There is regular engagement with musicians too, such as road-testing new products like the acoustic bagpipe chanter. The role can be seen as bridging the gap between capturing the requirements of the musicians and feeding that back to the makers in a way that makes sense in their creators’ world. As Hazel explains: “I’m able to produce some of the designs myself through my sketches and communicating enough of what's needed using a language that makers understand. “OHMI’s work is extraordinary. I love the variety and the opportunity to work with a small and very welcoming team. I am happy to be immersed in a world that genuinely makes things better by getting more instruments to more people.” “OHMI’s work is extraordinary and I am happy to be immersed in a world that genuinely makes things better by getting more instruments to more people.”  We are looking for someone with a passion for adapted musical instruments to join our team. Take a look at the job description below. We are particularly keen to hear from those with lived experience of physical impairment. Do share with anyone who might be interested! 
 Esther Mannouch playing a one-handed recorder at the 2025 OHMI Conference Player of the one-handed recorder Esther Mannouch has kindly organised a concert to raise funds for OHMI.
The event will take place on Sunday, 24th August and starts at 3:30pm. The venue is Cranbourne Farm, Sutton Scotney, Winchester. Esther has three one-handed recorders adapted by long-time OHMI supporter and instrument maker Peter Worrell. She will be playing her treble recorder alongside her baroque violinist sister Jean Paterson and harpsichordist Sharon Gould. The concert includes music by Telemann, Handel, and Jean-Baptiste Lœillet, with tea and cakes also on offer. The trio will be joined by OHMI General Manager Rachel Wolffsohn who will give a short talk on OHMI’s work. Tickets are by donation and may be reserved by emailing [email protected].  Whole Class image - Photo Credit Traybake Studios Disabled children in Bradford, Devon and Lincolnshire are being offered the opportunity to fully participate in music-making following a successful bid to roll out the OHMI Music-Makers Whole Class Programme. The programme aims to offer disabled children the same opportunities as their peers when it comes to Whole Class music lessons in schools.
The support, made possible with Arts Council England National Lottery Project funding, also means the three-stage programme can further evolve in six other areas of England. This staged approach means intensive support can be offered to Music Services when most needed in the first year whilst also freeing up OHMI capacity to work with a greater number of Music Services and to concentrate on disabled children with more complex needs. The original three participant Music Services in Birmingham, Nottingham and Northamptonshire are in the process of completing their third and final year of testing, with Central Bedfordshire, Southampton and Liverpool in their second year. The OHMI Trust General Manager Rachel Wolffsohn, said: “We’re delighted that Arts Council England has recognised the value of extending the service for another year in our six existing areas and to launch our delivery through Bradford Music & Arts Service, Devon Music Education Hub and Lincolnshire Music Service. We now have a good spread of geographies, sizes and ways of operating whole-class music programmes which means we can test applicability across the board and build the most robust model for future years.” Bradford Music & Arts Service, Devon Music Education Hub and Lincolnshire Music Service all applied to be part of the OHMI Music-Makers programme after attending the ‘Introduction to Music-Making for Physically Disabled Children’ CPD course. Bradford Music & Arts Service’s Head of Service Carl White said: “OHMI’s support in helping us to identify and assess the needs of our students well ahead of lessons will make such a difference to those who live with a disability and who might otherwise not be afforded the opportunity to play alongside their peers. We’re very much looking forward to seeing the benefits of this roll-out in the next academic year.” More information on OHMI Music-Makers including a short video featuring some of its participants is available at: www.ohmi.org.uk/ohmi-music-makers.html.  Toyah Willcox presents OHMI Playable Awards to Peter Worrell Celebrating individual achievement, academic progress and instrument development in disabled music-making were the themes of our major conference and awards ceremony which took place at BCU’s South Campus on 15th – 16th March 2025. The weekend event, which we delivered in collaboration with Birmingham City University and Imperial College London with support from headline sponsor ABRSM, brought together musicians, music educators, instrument designers and instrument makers from North America, Australia, Asia and Europe. Delegates were offered the opportunity to discuss how to overcome barriers to music-making faced by people with physical disabilities, from the design and ongoing production of instruments to wide-ranging issues around performing. Winners of the OHMI Competition Awards, which challenges instrument makers, designers and technicians to create and develop musical instruments that can be played without the use of one hand and arm, were announced on Saturday evening by singer-songwriter, actress and presenter Toyah Willcox. Toyah, who spoke at the ceremony of her own experience of disability as a force for creativity, said: “It’s been an honour to work with OHMI on these incredible awards. Every child and adult with an upper arm impairment has the right to express themselves in the world through music and to play instruments the way they want to play. It’s so easy to solve any problems that might prevent that. It just takes donations, accessibility and those people with brilliant design minds to come together and make it possible, and that’s what OHMI is about.” The winners were announced as:
OHMI General Manager Rachel Wolffsohn said: “So many disabled people look to OHMI for support. For musicians who have acquired an upper limb impairment or disability through illness or accident, this often comes at an incredibly upsetting and unsettling time. We’re deeply humbled that so many travelled so far to join us – including from the US, Japan and Australia – and some at significant personal expense. That illustrates how many people valued the opportunity to meet with others and to share experiences amongst what is a truly unique group.” More information about the Competition winners is available at: www.ohmi.org.uk/ohmi-competition.html. Recordings of the presentations will be added to the OHMI Research Partnership website in due course: www.ohmirp.org.uk/ohmiconference.html. |
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