As part of the jointly hosted two-day event by the Canadian Accessible Musical Instruments Network (SSHRC Partnership Development Grant) and Designing Sound Futures (York University, Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters Grant) at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Responsive Ecologies Lab, Molly Joyce performed “Crip,” which is a play on “Creep” (1992) by Radiohead. Joyce demonstrated how to embed access into a performance by projecting descriptive text on the wall, which was simultaneously audio described: “Crip. A choir of female voices beckons out for longing and recognition. As the choir progresses, organ chords join and lyrical content focusing on the fallacy of inspiration and overcoming a tragedy. The work ends with further questioning ensuing.” 

Joyce’s performance also demonstrated how disability experiences, identities, and culture are foregrounded by interpolating the original lyrics. In the original version of the song, the lyrics state: “But I’m a Creep. I’m a weirdo. What the hell am I doing here? I don’t belong here.” Joyce replaced “creep” with the reclaimed “crip” and challenged audiences to consider her experiences as a disabled person: “But I’m a crip. I’m a hero. Inspiration standing here. I don’t belong here.” 

This video is included as an example of live in-person music making that the partnership will support and how knowledge is shared through these performances and how recorded events can be accessed asynchronously and later analyzed as data.

Date: March 23-24, 2024