About Adaptive Music

Adaptive Music is an approach to music education that removes unnecessary barriers and creates multiple ways for people to participate meaningfully in music.

Rather than asking people to fit into traditional music instruction, adaptive music reshapes instruction to fit real people — their strengths, interests, communication styles, and learning needs.

Adaptive music is:

Inclusive by design
Strengths-based
Social and relational
Grounded in education, not therapy
Centered on participation and belonging
 

Music belongs to everyone.

Kirk Guthaus is a professional musician, music educator, special education teacher, and community program director.

He has worked as a professional musician for over twenty years and previously served in the United States Army Bands, where he developed a deep understanding of ensemble collaboration, leadership, and music as a shared social practice.

Kirk has taught in inclusive classroom settings as a special education teacher and now serves as the Program Director for Lifelong Learning with Friends, an inclusive continuing education program affiliated with UT Austin. His work focuses on creating accessible, meaningful music experiences for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Kirk’s teaching and program design are informed by action research, national music education standards, and ongoing research into community-based music education and social participation.