[Menvi-discuss] conducting

[Gillespie, Jeffrey]

Hi Julie:

I am a sighted college professor who teaches music theory.  I have a few thoughts to share.  There's no excuse for a professor not being sure how to teach ANY student, even a conducting student who is blind.  The instructor should be up for the challenge and eager to be creative.  If he or she isn't doing that, then speak to the department chair.  The degree requirements may need to be modified a bit, or the conducting course requirements modified.  For example, perhaps you could be graded in the course on a pass\fail basis.  There has to be some way to grade your work in that class, in order to uphold high standards for you, so you can set goals.  I don't know what the syllabus for the course looks like, or how grading is done in the course, but that's a question YOU will need to ask the instructor.

An independent study option may be the best route, if the instructor doesn't know what to do with you in class.  However, an independent study technically means just that.... working independently, on your own, with occasional checking in with the instructor.  You can't really do an independent study in conducting.  In my opinion, your best bet would be to stay in the class, have an aide to help you with arm movements, and then meet with the instructor one-on-one once a week for additional instruction.  I assume you will be doing lots of in-class listening, and that will be useful to you.  If you aren't doing lots of in-class listening, then the instructor is not designing the class in a way that's inclusive for you.

It's not your fault if the instructor doesn't know how to teach you - it's the instructor's responsibility to teach.  Period!

Jeff Gillespie
Butler University
________________________________________
From: menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org [menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] on behalf of Julie McGinnity [kaybaycar at gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 12:41 AM
To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
Subject: [Menvi-discuss] conducting

Hi everyone.

As part of my degree in vocal performance, I have to take at least one
semester of conducting.  The professor is not sure how to teach me,
and I'm not sure how I am going to learn.  I was thinking that being
in the class would not be benificial to me because I will not be able
to see the patterns and things that are shown to the class visually.
I imagine that I would be behind.  My school is thinking of offering
me some kind of independent study option.  Is this a good solution?

This is only the half of it though because the professor of the
conducting classes honestly has no idea how to teach me.  I would
really like to learn.  I think conducting would improve my rhythm, and
depending on what I choose to study in grad school, it might be
useful.  I know there are blind people who have taking conducting;
what have you done?  How have you learned?  Any suggestions would be
great.

Thanks.

--
Julie McG
 Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
Eyes for the Blind

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16

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