Musicking

A term coined by musicologist Christopher Small to describe music as an activity or process rather than a thing. Musicking encompasses all participation in a musical performance—playing, listening, dancing, composing, practicing, and providing the setting—and emphasizes that music is fundamentally about relationships between people. In accessibility contexts, the concept of musicking challenges narrow definitions of musical ability and validates diverse forms of musical engagement by people with disabilities. Rather than asking whether someone can "play" an instrument in a traditional sense, musicking asks how they participate in musical experiences. This framing supports inclusive approaches to accessible digital musical instruments and music therapy, recognizing that meaningful musical engagement can take many forms beyond conventional virtuosity.