MUSIC LITERACY AND
TECHNOLOGY LEADING TO VARIED CAREER OPTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH VISUAL
IMPAIRMENT
Presenter(s)
Richard
Taesch
Braille
Music Division
Day
Phone: 661-254-0321
Email:
taeschr@ix.netcom.com
Presenter
#2
Grant
Horrocks
Braille
Music Division
Day
Phone: 818-704-3819
Email:
siloti@sbcglobal.net
Presenter
#3
Susan
Cullen
Day
Phone: 818-677-2152
Fax:
818-677-4932
Email:
susan.cullen@csun.edu
Presenter
#4
Dan
Duran
Day
Phone: 818-677-2176
Fax:
818-677-4932
Email:
dan.duran@csun.edu
Introduction
In order to succeed in today’s fast-paced educational arena, blind music
students must be able to work—with materials and in hand—concurrently with their
sighted peers. They are completely capable of doing so, but only if prudent
planning, advocacy, and informed information is available to them. They are
capable of sight singing, theory and harmonic analysis, composition,
orchestration, and all other musical areas.
Musically
inclined individuals need not limit career plans to performance and/or teaching
options. Articles in major journals have pointed out that many corporations
look very favorably on music backgrounds in their hiring policies where such
skills are an applied to non-music fields. These skills, which may be
transferable to other career options include, Organization, Memory,
Multitasking, Public Speaking or Performance, Sequencing, Creativity and
Communication. Musically trained students often find these skills, taught
within the discipline of music, are very advantageous in all kinds of academic
and occupational endeavors.
PREPARATION:
1. Fundamental keyboard skills are required for all music students:
• Keyboard Geography for blind students (keyboard spatial orientation-helps
build spatial skills
• Introduction to braille music
2. Sight singing
3. Music listening skills:
• listening to others
• listening to oneself
4. Preparing for a college entrance audition / repertoire
CHOOSING THE
Blind students must know what skills will be required of them. Most
postsecondary academic institutions will require music literacy in order to
graduate.
1. Music Braille reading skills are essential.
2.
Communication with DSS Officers and Music Department Chairperson is an acquired
skill.
3. Know your specialized needs. Once you have educated yourself about your
needs, you will then be in a better position to explain and request services
from various Administrators and Professors. You are the best source of
information regarding what works for you and why. However, in order to reach
that goal of self-knowledge, you must first participation in an active
preparation plan for your future.
4. Does the college you are interested in have the technology you will need? Is
the school in a position to get what you need if they do not have it? What
other sources may you need to explore to find funding for technology specific
to your needs? The type of technology my include:
a. Scanning and translation software
b. Converting braille or MIDI files to print for submitting assignments
c. Email and embossing braille files provided by transcribers
d. Transcriber/Music Chair/Student communication
COMMON PROBLEMS &
CHALLENGES
• The challenge of learning to use and apply technology to meet your needs. The
lack of adequate technology commercially available.
• Instructors who believe that blind students do not need to read music.
• Identifying resources, pursuing those resources, and being assertive about
your needs. Understanding what you may need to address on your own is an
important factor which is frequently overlooked. Communicating and co-operating
with specialists outside of the college; who are they? Where are they?
• Helping instructors to understand the need to plan ahead with respect to
specialized media and tutors; braille “turnaround” time. This is a challenge
when you understand that instructors, can and may change their curriculum
somewhat during the course. An awareness that this may happen is critical. As
much as an instructor may want to plan ahead, various items may come up without
much lead time and it is best to discuss how you and the instructor and the
Disabilities Services Office at your school may handle these unexpected events.
• Syllabi: The good, the bad, and the ugly—samples of what works and what
doesn’t; educating the educator.
• Communicating with community resource administrators such as the Department
of Re-habilitation,
AREAS REQUIRING ACADEMIC
FLEXIBILITY
Preparing to “test out”
Functional piano skills; specifics to preparing a blind student
Music braille and keyboard skills
Teaching blind students to work in live classroom situations
MUSICAL PRESENTATION:
*A short music reading lesson for the layperson
Principles to be demonstrated:
1. Braille music is logical, and essential for music students.
2. Teachers and tutors need NOT learn the music code in order to support and
require its use.
3. Braille music solfege (sight singing) is the basis for all reading skills on
the college level.
4. A history of the code
5. Learning the rudiments of music in braille
* Workshop attendees will participate in simple sight singing fun using the
braille music code.
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