Safe in Sound

Music + Improvisation + Communication

Safe in Sound is an accessible experimental music and improvisation program bringing together emerging and established artists with mixed abilities for a collaborative creative development process and public performance outcomes across Australia.

Safe in Sound brings sound art and exploratory music to people with disability, their families and carers — in their own homes and on festival stages across the country.

What We Do

Musicians play saxophone and percussion in a family living room while a woman plays a drum

Home Visits

In-home concerts bringing sound art and exploratory music to people with disability, their families and carers — in the comfort and safety of your own home.

Book a Home Visit

A mixed-ability ensemble performing on stage at the Safe in Sound Festival

Events

Safe in Sound concerts and events celebrate experimental music through difference, collaboration and shared discovery. Bringing together an intergenerational line-up of artists, the festival features new collaborative works by musicians with disability, children, emerging artists and longstanding figures from Australia’s experimental music community.

See What's On

The gothic sandstone cloisters and green quadrangle of the University of Melbourne's Old Quad

Research

Safe in Sound is collaborating with scholars from the University of Melbourne to better understand the benefits of the SIS methodology in supporting wellbeing, developing artists and contributing to experimental music cultures.

About the Research

Or meet our artists — a talented team of improvisers and sound artists with decades of experience.

What Families Say

“From Robbie's first sound art performance with Jess, she was absolutely connected to the sounds and she had amazing engagement for extended periods. Bringing the sound art to Jess was extremely important because she is permanently bedridden and cannot leave our house, so she is totally dependent upon the typically limited variety of activities that can normally be brought to her. Robbie initially began by listening to what we thought might be the right type of sound triggers for Jess' enjoyment and he then proceeded to improvise with his 'bag of tricks', ultimately identifying the types of sounds that Jess enjoyed. In a follow-up session with Jim, Jess was super chilled and relaxed with different types of sounds. It gave us great joy and also excitement to take a back seat as audience members and watch Jess have so much enjoyment and relaxation — her smiles and laughter, together with far less usage of the suction equipment that is normally very regularly required by her, demonstrated to us that with this form of stimulation, there are untold wellbeing benefits waiting to be quantified.”

Earl & Debbie Schonberger (Jess's parents)

More testimonials