Help Children Find Their Speech Through Music
Support children with disabilities by turning music into a powerful speech development tool.
Our Story
Speak Music as Language is a groundbreaking early intervention program designed to support children with disabilities in developing speech and communication skills through an engaging, multisensory approach. Developed by acclaimed vocal coach Bernadette Bascom in collaboration with innovators at Microsoft, this app-based program blends music, breath control, rhythm, and physicality to make language learning joyful, memorable, and effective.
Available in the Apple Store, Speak Music as Language uses music as a universal tool to help children find their voices—literally and figuratively—while fostering deeper connection between home and school environments.
Process
This research-informed method leverages four key elements of vocal development, supported by neuroscience and the success of music therapy in educational settings:
Breath Control
Children are guided in proper breathing techniques to increase vocal strength and improve clarity.
Rhythm & Fluency
A built-in metronome offers rhythmic cues to improve timing, pacing, and overall fluency.
Physicality & Articulation
Jaw, tongue, and lip exercises are embedded to improve muscle coordination and support clearer articulation.
Melody & Memory
By associating sound and melody with words, the app strengthens memory retention and recall, creating a joyful learning experience.
Breath Control
Children are guided in proper breathing techniques to increase vocal strength and improve clarity.
Rhythm & Fluency
A built-in metronome offers rhythmic cues to improve timing, pacing, and overall fluency.
Physicality & Articulation
Jaw, tongue, and lip exercises are embedded to improve muscle coordination and support clearer articulation.
Melody & Memory
By associating sound and melody with words, the app strengthens memory retention and recall, creating a joyful learning experience.
What Kind Of Difference This Initiative Can Bring
Central to this initiative is a home-to-school, school-to-home continuum. For children to reach their full communication potential, there must be alignment between parents, caregivers, and educators. Consistent strategies and language reinforcement across environments are essential to a child’s success. Speak Music as Language empowers everyone in a child’s ecosystem—teachers, parents, and even siblings—to become active participants in their speech journey.
What Do We Need And Where The Funds Will Go:
We are respectfully trying to raise $250,000 to expand the Speak Music as Language initiative and deepen its impact. Funding will be directed toward:
- AI-Driven Personalization: Integrating adaptive AI to customize speech and learning pathways based on each child’s unique strengths, pace, and needs.
- Multilingual Expansion: Adding multilingual support to reach non-English-speaking children and families, and to reflect the rich diversity of learners in today’s classrooms.
- App Enhancement & Accessibility: Improving app features, refining user experience, and ensuring accessibility for children with a wide range of abilities and learning styles.
Impact Goals
With your support, we aim to:
- Reach an additional 10,000 children with disabilities by 2026
- Equip 5,000 parents and educators with tools and training to support consistent, effective speech development
- Expand to 10 school districts and early childhood programs in under-resourced communities
- Demonstrate measurable improvements in speech clarity, confidence, and engagement in early learners
This project is more than an app. It’s a bridge between science, music, and love—a tool that gives children the power to communicate, express themselves, and be heard.
Speak! Music as Language is poised to revolutionize early speech development for children with disabilities. With your partnership, we can scale this innovation, close communication gaps, and give more children the gift of voice.
Get In Touch
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Frequently Asked Questions
Speak Music as Language is a groundbreaking early intervention program designed to support children with disabilities in developing speech and communication skills through an engaging, multisensory approach.
Central to this initiative is a home-to-school, school-to-home continuum. For children to reach their full communication potential, there must be alignment between parents, caregivers, and educators. Consistent strategies and language reinforcement across environments are essential to a child’s success. Speak Music as Language empowers everyone in a child’s ecosystem—teachers, parents, and even siblings—to become active participants in their speech journey.
Funding will be directed toward: • AI-Driven Personalization: Integrating adaptive AI to customize speech and learning pathways based on each child’s unique strengths, pace, and needs. • Multilingual Expansion: Adding multilingual support to reach non-English-speaking children and families, and to reflect the rich diversity of learners in today’s classrooms. • App Enhancement & Accessibility: Improving app features, refining user experience, and ensuring accessibility
With your support, we aim to: • Reach an additional 10,000 children with disabilities by 2026 • Equip 5,000 parents and educators with tools and training to support consistent, effective speech development • Expand to 10 school districts and early childhood programs in under-resourced communities • Demonstrate measurable improvements in speech clarity, confidence, and engagement in early learners