Presentation

Isabella LaCava and Jackson Danforth

Izzy: An exhibit for the Drum Garden, a portable drum set that attaches to someone's wheeled chair,  that aims to awaken empathy for the user of the drums. The exhibit conceals the drum set behind a curtain, which reveals only its mysterious silhouette among other instruments, in order to create the impression of inviting the visitor into a musical community where they can play along with others. 

The Drum Garden was created for a girl named Sara who has cerebral palsy. The device attaches to her wheeled chair to give her the ability to play the drums since she would not be able to reach a  stand-alone drum kit.  The product will be exhibited at City Hall in Cambridge, to show the general public what students work on at NuVu and raise awareness of the need for such work.  The exhibit helps people understand how someone can feel held back because they have a certain disability or are in a wheeled chair and therefore the importance of devices such as the Drum Garden. The exhibit has a curtain with a  mysterious silhouette projected onto the outside. Then when the visitor passes to the other side of the curtain, they meet with flowers and a spotlight on the chair, bringing everything to life and making the chair extremely exciting, representing how happy and lively Sarah feels after being given the ability to play the drums. The Drum Garden is also placed between a piano and guitar, representing the concept of being apart of a community.