From Silence to Sound: Engaging Refugee Children in Emotional and Environmental Expression through Extended Viola Technique in 'Vocalizing Hermit Crab'

Abstract

"Vocalizing Hermit Crab" is a sonic experiment employing the interactive musical game "Viola Sound Safari", designed to immerse refugee children in extended viola techniques. This project emphasizes the viola’s capacity to produce diverse sounds, offering participants a transformative musical experience. "Viola Sound Safari" incorporates advanced gamification principles, presenting interactive challenges that prompt children to engage with harmonics, sul ponticello, col legno, and microtonal variations. Live electronics and real-time sound processing extend the viola's sonic, creating intricate soundscapes. This experiment allows refugee children to explore new sounds and transform personal experiences into expressive musical compositions. The game's interactive design promotes spontaneous participation and the instrument. Preliminary findings suggest that this gamified approach enhances creativity and emotional expression, offering valuable insights into how music technology facilitates therapeutic processes. "Vocalizing Hermit Crab" thus stands at the intersection of technology, music, and social impact, proposing a flexible framework for sonic experimentation that can be adapted across diverse settings and participant groups.