Columbia University’s evolving musicianship curriculum prioritizes musical experience over traditional literacy, using inclusive techniques inspired by blind and deaf communities—such as sound painting, personalized identity melodies, and movement-based instruction. In this episode, Professor Peter Susser explores how these methods challenge conventional ideas about ability and learning, offering a broader vision for music education. He also reflects on cultural contrasts in accessibility between France and the U.S., and his own deep-rooted family connection to music.

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Host: Marie Doezema

Production: Marie Doezema and Charlotte Force

Editing: Theo Albaric

Music: Lili Boulanger’s Nocturne performed by Magdalena Baczewska and Sasha He

With thanks to the Nadia and Lili Boulanger International Centre in Paris

The Columbia Global Paris Center is part of a network of 11 global centers of Columbia University in the City of New York, one of the world's leading academic institutions. The centers serve as knowledge hubs that aim to educate and inspire through research, dialogue, and action. They advance understanding, facilitate partnerships, and build the bridges necessary to tackle our changing world.

Columbia Global brings together major global initiatives from across the university to advance knowledge and foster global engagement. Those initiatives include the Columbia Global Centers, Columbia World Projects, the Committee on Global Thought, and the Institute for Ideas and Imagination.

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