I’m Erin Adair, an adaptive music educator based in Ottawa.

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I hold an Honours Bachelor of Music and an MA in Music and Culture from Carleton University, and I am currently completing my PhD in Critical Improvisation Studies at the University of Guelph. My doctoral research focuses on autistic sensory regulation and improvisation through music. I have also published three peer-reviewed papers on disability and music.

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I have worked as a professional musician for over 15 years as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and recording artist, releasing four albums of original music.

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Over the past several years, I’ve specialized in working with students who don’t feel at home in typical music lessons. Many of the people I teach are autistic, ADHD, anxious, sensory-sensitive, or simply learn in ways that don’t fit rigid teaching styles.

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My teaching approach is shaped by my background in disability studies, my lived experience with autism and ADHD, autistic self-advocacy, research, and years of experience teaching in my studio, community spaces, and group settings.

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Rather than following a strict curriculum, I design lessons around how each person thinks, communicates, and experiences sound. Some students learn through instruments, some through improvisation, some through technology, and some through musical games. The goal is always the same: to create a space where music feels safe, engaging, and meaningful.

I teach ukulele, piano, songwriting, composition, theory, general music, improvisation, and digital music, and I run small group music circles for autistic and neurodivergent teens and adults.

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This isn’t music therapy. It’s music education adapted to fit the learner.

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I work primarily with autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent children, teens, and adults, but I welcome anyone who benefits from a flexible, adaptive approach to learning. This includes neurotypical learners and people with other disabilities.

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For inquiries, please email info@erinadairmusic.com.