Conference Program

Drawing on neurodiversity perspectives, the study reframes the cognitive profile of the music student not as a deficit to be addressed, but as an epistemic resource that reveals the limits of narrow competence models. From a social justice standpoint, inclusion requires more than individual accommodations; it demands a redefinition of what counts as legitimate musical knowledge. Recognising multiple ways of knowing and making music enables more democratic and equitable learning environments in which different cognitive styles are not merely supported, but valued.

In many formal music education settings, the ability to accurately read and interpret written notation is widely treated as a primary sign of musical competence. Students are often evaluated on how quickly and precisely they translate a score into sound, and such criteria shape how progress and talent are recognised (Dahl, 2009; Kivijärvi & Väkevä, 2020). However, musical literacy goes beyond the ability to read musical notation to encompass a range of skills and knowledge, from understanding and interpretation to listening and cultural awareness, enabling individuals to make music in a thoughtful and informed way (Mills & McPherson, 2006). For this reason, when competence is measured mainly through the speed and accuracy with which notation is decoded, a complex set of abilities is reduced to a single skill. This approach reflects a narrowing of the concept rather than a necessary condition for being musically literate.

Within this framework, not all learners have an equal footing. In particular, the cognitive demands of reading music scores, which include rapid symbol processing, rhythmic organization, and the integration of visual and motor systems, may pose a challenge for students with a specific learning disorder (SLD) (Oglethorpe, 2002). When these skills are used as the main assessment criteria, students whose cognitive processing differs from this model risk being perceived as less competent, even if they demonstrate strong musical perception, expressive depth, attentive listening, or refined bodily coordination.

Therefore, the question that arises is not only how students perform, but also how competence is defined and which forms of musical knowledge are considered legitimate. Against this background, this paper uses a case study of a violin student with dyslexia to examine how alternative pathways to musical understanding can become visible when pedagogical priorities shift. When teaching moved away from a primary emphasis on rapid notation decoding and towards embodied practices — focusing on posture, movement coordination, listening, and sound production — different forms of musical knowledge emerged. The student’s development shows how musical understanding can be constructed through sensory, motor, and relational processes, rather than primarily through symbolic interpretation.