"A song lies dormant in everything
That ever dreams and dreams away,
And all the world would start to sing
Could you but find the magic word."

(Josef von Eichendorf 1788 - 1857, transl. Margaret Murray)

Music oriented learning processes and musical experiences are interrelated. But what remains of music when one can only hear badly or not at all? How is music accessible to the hard-of-hearing and the deaf, and what insights can music teachers and therapists gain from this knowledge?

This book provides two very different approaches to these questions. The first section presents a scientific research project investigating the foundational elements of music perception among the hard-of-hearing and deaf. The second section details the use of play songs in teaching hard-of-hearing and deaf children. It combines music, movement, language and play. The multi-sensory aspects of music perception that were discussed in the first section find their practical application in section two.

Research into music oriented learning processes is considered an empirical and analytical method in the field of music education and therapy. This book provides an interdisciplinary exchange between the natural sciences and music education and therapy.

The subject of the text and the questions involved are derived from the extensive practical experience of the authors. Both are driven to understand the mechanisms of music perception that lie at the root of the issue. How does one develop the pedagogical method, what are the influential factors, and how can they be expanded upon? The authors demonstrate how theory and practice complement one another and result in new stimuli for the further development of the field. Looking into the issue of "not being able to hear" also sheds light on what it means "to be able to hear", and this book will thus prove particularly useful for those who are interested in a multi-sensory approach to music. Experiencing music with all of the senses serves as the foundation for a holistic music comprehension in both educational and therapeutic fields.