Molly Joyce
Portfolio for University of Missouri-Kansas City - Assistant Professor of Music Composition Position
Contents: Music Videos, Recordings, and Scores
+ Scholarship Information Below
Work #1
Perspective (2020-present) 20’
Perspective is an ongoing project featuring disabled interviewees responding to what access, care, interdependence, and more mean to them. The interviewees’ responses are featured aurally (voices overheard and musical accompaniment) and visually (open-caption videos), representing my initial artistic explorations into access as aesthetic. The work has seen multiple formats, from in-person installation, dance performance, to virtual and interactive talkbacks. The project was released as an album in October 2022 on New Amsterdam Records, praised by Pitchfork as “a powerful work of love and empathy that underscores the poison of ableism in American culture.”
Further information: https://www.mollyjoyce.com/projects/perspective
Selected Excerpt:
Work #2
Two Lives One Body (2024) 8’30’’
for orchestra: 3(+pic).3(+enghrn).3(+bass cl.).3(+contrbass) – 4.3.3.1- timp.3 perc. – strings
commissioned by The Juilliard School
FP: May 22, 2025 by Juilliard Orchestra and conductor Earl Lee at Alice Tully Hall in New York, NY
Two Lives One Body was inspired by my experience of late pregnancy and the anticipation of becoming a mother. The piece is not meant to literally depict the physical aspects of pregnancy, but rather to offer an artistic reflection on the surreal yet deeply holistic experience of carrying two lives within one body—and the gradual transition of letting go, as those two lives become physically separate. Musically, this is expressed through two distinct harmonic layers that persist throughout the piece—sometimes in dissonance, sometimes in consonance, echoing the push and pull of togetherness and separation. My large ensemble compositions have often centered on melody and rhythm, but with this piece I wanted to shift the focus, allowing harmony to lead the musical narrative.
Work #3
State Change: August 6, 1999 6’
August 6, 1999 is the opening track from State Change, a recent album that utilizes surgical records as musical lyrics, combined with aural material produced with various accelerometer and motion capture systems. The album underscores the aural with the medical, ultimately seeking a musical manifestation of acquired disability, and each track is titled after one of my surgery dates. State Change showcases my experimentation with adaptive music technologies, and has production and engineering support from Grammy-award-winning producer William Brittelle and engineer Michael Hammond at Figure 8 Studios in Brooklyn, NY. Released on Released on Better Company Records and FatCat Records’ 130701 Imprint in July 2025, and praised by The Wire as a “lush, full listen…about beauty in self-expression.”
Publications
Book Chapters
Joyce, M. (2025). Seeking Virtuosity from Disability. In A. Bell & S. Sunandan Honisch (Eds.), In Disability Perspectives for Music Education. (forthcoming)
Bell, A. & Joyce, M. (2025). Dreaming Disability Musical Futurities. In Oxford Handbook of Feminism and Music Education. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-oxford-handbook-of-feminism-and-music-education-9780197612507?cc=us&lang=en&#
Joyce, M. (2023). Virtuosity of the Self. In L. Devenish & C. Hope (Eds.), Contemporary Notions of Musical Virtuosities. https://www.routledge.com/Contemporary-Musical-Virtuosities/Devenish-Hope/p/book/9781032310855
Joyce, M. (2023). Fostering Disability Artistry in Higher Education. In M.L. Vance & E.G. Harrison (Eds.), Disabled Faculty & Staff: Intersecting Identities in Higher Education (Volume 2). https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/publications/publications-for-sale/disabled-faculty-staff
Joyce, M., & Guttman, S. (2022). Perspective: Highlighting Disabled Contributors on Access, Care, Interdependence, and more through a Socially-Engaged and Interdisciplinary Artistic Project. In A. Cachia (Eds.), Curating Access: Disability Art Activism and Creative Accommodation. Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003171935
Journals
Joyce, M. (2024), "Disability, Family, Artistry: A Search for Balance and Access", Ciciurkaite, G. and Brown, R.L. (Ed.) Disability and the Changing Contexts of Family and Personal Relationships (Research in Social Science and Disability, Vol. 15), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 7-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-354720240000015003 [Editors’ Choice Best Chapter Award]
Joyce, M. (2024). Cripping Virtuosity: Cultivating Virtuosity from Disability through Music Technology. HUB: Journal of Research in Art, Design and Society, 2. https://i2ads.up.pt/hub/, https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/2765289/2765290
Joyce, M., with contributions from Kayla Hamilton (2023). Reimagining the Vision of Dance: Kayla Hamilton’s Nearly Sighted/unearthing the dark. Americas: A Hemispheric Music Journal, 31, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1353/ame.2022.a911966
Joyce, M. (2023). The End. Synoptique, 10(1), 64-67. https://www.synoptique.ca/_files/ugd/811df8_1c9ce5f540144197861b959136c29faf.pdf
Joyce, M. (2022). Seeking Performance Sustainability within Disability. Peripeti, 19(37), 86–97. https://tidsskrift.dk/peripeti/article/view/135193
Joyce, M. (2022). Perspective. Spark: A 4C4Equality Journal, 4. https://sparkactivism.com/perspective
Online Publications
Joyce, M. (2023). Virtuosity of the Self. 13 Society for Artistic Research Conference Proceedings, edited by Ivana Sidjimovska. https://media.researchcatalogue.net/rc/master/df/b9/4a/5b/dfb94a5b09aff62e13b6fa8744b46b7a.pdf?t=4624c5d243f6bb09d329e29abf6195f0&e=1713601500
Joyce, M. (2023). PERSPECTIVE: HIGHLIGHTING DISABILITY VIEWPOINTS THROUGH ARTISTRY AND ACCESSIBILITY. Practice Sharing II, edited by Emma Cocker, Cordula Daus and Lena Séraphin. https://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/1538250/2166723/8701
Joyce, M. (2023). The Sound of Disability. UVA Scholars’ Lab. https://scholarslab.lib.virginia.edu/blog/the-sound-of-disability/
Joyce, M. (2023). Access as Praxis. UVA Scholars’ Lab. https://scholarslab.lib.virginia.edu/blog/access-as-praxis
Joyce, M. (2023). Disability First. The Wire. https://www.thewire.co.uk/in-writing/essays/disability-first-by-molly-joyce
Joyce, M. (2022). Perspective. Sites Unsettled. www.unsettlingdramaturgy.com
Joyce, M. (2022). What is cure for you? [video]. HIVES Buzz-Zine. https://behives.org/joyce
Joyce, M. (2021, March 18). Highlighting Disabled Female Leaders in Foreign Policy. Women in Foreign Policy. https://www.womeninforeignpolicy.org/the-zig-zag/foreign-policy-disabled-leaders
Joyce, M. (2020, August 12). Moving and thriving alongside the physicality of disability: the work of Jerron Herman. Disability Arts Online. https://disabilityarts.online/magazine/opinion/moving-and-thriving-alongside-the-physicality-of-disability-the-work-of-jerron-herman
Joyce, M. (2020, June 2). Redefining Musical Experience: The Work of Stefan Sunandan Honisch. Disability Arts Online. www.disabilityarts.online/magazine/opinion/redefining-musical-experience-the-work-of-stefan-sunandan-honisch
Joyce, M. (2020, January 29). Presenting disability arts within the visual arts – a US perspective. Disability Arts Online. https://disabilityarts.online/magazine/opinion/presenting-disability-arts-within-the-visual-arts-a-us-perspective
Joyce, M. (2018, April 1). Beyond Ability: Reimagining Normative Bodies in Music. 21CM.
Conferences
Conference Presentations
Joyce, M. (2025, June 24-27). State Change: Merging Adaptive Music Technology with Disability Aesthetics [Conference presentation]. New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME), The Australian National University, Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, Canberra, Australia.
Joyce, M. & Nassif, K. (2025, June 25). In Feeling: Highlighting Disabled Artists through Empathy and Accessibility [Conference presentation]. UK Disability History and Heritage Hub, Online.
Joyce, M. (2025, April 26-27). Disability, Family, Artistry: A Search for Balance and Access [Conference presentation]. Graduate Students in Music Conference, City University of New York Graduate Center, Online.
Joyce, M. (2025, April 7-9). Perspective: Highlighting Disability Viewpoints through Artistry and Accessibility [Conference presentation]. Symposium for Disability and Accessibility at Yale, New Haven, CT.
Joyce, M. (2025, March 27-30). Disability, Family, Artistry: A Search for Balance and Access [Conference presentation]. Society for Applied Anthropology, Online.
Joyce, M. (2024, November 14-17). Cripping Virtuosity: Cultivating Virtuosity from Disability through Music Technology [Conference presentation]. American Musicological Society Conference, Chicago, IL.
Joyce, M. (2024, November 7-9). Perspective: Highlighting Disability Viewpoints through Artistry and Accessibility [Poster presentation]. College Music Society 2024 National Conference, Washington, DC.
Joyce, M. (2024, May 30). Cripping Virtuosity: Cultivating Virtuosity from Disability through Music Technology [Conference presentation]. International Conference on Movement and Computing (MOCO), Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
Joyce, M. (2024, March 22). Access Intimacies: Exploring shared disability experiences through artistic outputs [Conference presentation]. Interdisciplinary Graduate Symposium, Department of English, University of Charlottesville, Charlottesville, VA + Online.
Joyce, M. (2024, March 22-26). Cripping Virtuosity: Cultivating Virtuosity from Disability through Music Technology [Conference presentation]. Society for Applied Anthropology, Online.
Joyce, M. (2024, March 2). Perspective: Highlighting Disability Viewpoints through Artistry and Accessibility [Conference presentation]. University of Toronto Graduate Music Conference, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada + Online.
Joyce, M. (2023, November 10). Perspective: Highlighting Disability Viewpoints through Artistry and Accessibility [Conference presentation]. American Musicological Society (AMS) and Society for Music Theory (SMT) Annual Meeting, Denver, CO.
Joyce, M. (2023, July 29). Perspective: Highlighting Disability Viewpoints through Artistry and Accessibility [Conference presentation]. Disability, Theatre, and Performance + Association for Theatre in Higher Education Pre-Conference, Online.
Joyce, M. (2023, July 2-10). Seeking Virtuosity from Disability [Conference presentation]. The College Music Society 2023 Conference, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia.
Joyce, M. (2023, June 8-10). Perspective: Highlighting Disability Viewpoints through Artistry and Accessibility [Conference presentation]. Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Alliance and Collaboratory (HASTAC) 2023 – Critical Making & Social Justice, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY + Online.
Joyce, M. (2023, April 28). Disability as a Creative Source [Conference presentation]. Disability Studies and Music Education Symposium, Online.
Joyce, M. (2023, March 31-April 2). Virtuosity from Disability: Exploring multidisciplinary offerings from dance to music [Conference presentation]. Mid-Atlantic Chapter for the Society for Ethnomusicology Annual Conference, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA.
Joyce, M. (2023, March 30-31). Virtuosity from Disability: Exploring multidisciplinary offerings from dance to music [Conference presentation]. Graduate & Honors Research Symposium, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA.
Joyce, M. (2023, March 24-25). Virtuosity from Disability: Exploring multidisciplinary offerings from dance to music [Conference presentation]. Graduate Students in Music Conference, City University of New York Graduate Center, Online.
Joyce, M. (2023, March 22-26). Reimagining the Vision of Dance: Kayla Hamilton’s Nearly Sighted/Unearthing the Dark [Conference presentation]. Society for Applied Anthropology, Online.
Joyce, M. (2023, March 18-19). Virtuosity from Disability: Exploring multidisciplinary offerings from dance to music [Conference presentation]. University of Toronto Graduate Music Conference, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada + Online.
Joyce, M. (2023, March 6). Disability as a Creative Source [Conference presentation]. SXSW EDU, Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX.
Joyce, M. (2022, October 29-30). Virtuosity from Disability: Exploring multidisciplinary offerings from dance to music [Conference presentation]. Research on Contemporary Composition Conference, University of North Georgia, Online.
Joyce, M., & Guttman, S. (2022, October 20-22). Perspective [Conference presentation]. Alliances & Commonalities, Stockholm University of the Arts, Online.
Joyce, M. (2022, September 17-18). The End [Conference performance]. South Central Graduate Music Consortium, Duke University.
Joyce, M. (2022, June 30-July 3). Virtuosity of the Self [Conference presentation]. Society for Artistic Research, Online.
Joyce, M. (2022, March 22-26). Virtuosity of the Self [Conference presentation]. Society for Applied Anthropology, Online.
Joyce, M., & Guttman, S. (2022, March 3-4). Perspective [Conference presentation]. Disabilities at the Intersection of History, Culture, Religion, Gender, and Health (Marquette University), Online.
Joyce, M. (2021, April 18). Reimagining the Vision of Dance: Kayla Hamilton’s Nearly Sighted/Unearthing the Dark [Conference presentation]. Society for Disability Studies, Online.
Joyce, M. (2021, March 23). Reimagining the Vision of Dance: Kayla Hamilton’s Nearly Sighted/Unearthing the Dark [Conference presentation]. Society for Applied Anthropology, Online.
Joyce, M. (2020, June 23). Molly Joyce on Rethinking Interdependence through Disability Perspectives [Conference presentation]. Americans for the Arts Annual Convention, Online.
Joyce, M. (2017, October 28). Beyond Ability [Conference presentation]. TEDxMidAtlantic, Washington, DC.
Panels
Joyce, M. (2024, March 8). Kunstkommission Düsseldorf Commissions [Panel participation]. Düsseldorf, Germany.
Joyce, M. & Guttman, S. (2022, November 17). A Discussion and Reading of Curating Access: Disability Art Activism and Creative Accommodation [Panel participation]. New York University Center for Disability Studies.
Joyce, M. (2022, October 25). Making Space: How art and media literacy can reshape notions of disability and representation [Panel participation]. National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE), Online.
Joyce, M. (2022, September 22-23). Artists at the Table [Panel participation]. National Arts Policy Roundtable, Putting the Arts to Work: 15 Years of Policy Conversations and Pathways Forward, Americans for the Arts.
Joyce, M. (2021, February 2). Music & Disability Artist Roundtable [Panel participation]. Department of Music, Towson University.