[Menvi-discuss] Wands for blind people/ working withorchestraand ensemble

Fri Jan 13 01:05:53 PST 2012

Yes, one of the violinists or the chelists could gently tap the performer on the leg to say: "slow down bro" or "hup up!"
Ha ha. 
Keep the thaughts rolling, maybe someday we'll come up with a way. 

Dewald Louwrens van Deventer 

Cell: +2782-461-4865

Fax: +2786-612-5921

E-mail: <dewaldvandeventer at gmail.com>

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Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears from the eyes of woman.
Ludwig Van Beethoven

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. 
Victor Hugo
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Brandon Keith Biggs 
  To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy 
  Sent: Friday, January 13, 2012 4:03 AM
  Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] Wands for blind people/ working withorchestraand ensemble

  Hello,
  In books I’ve read on the Metropolitan Opera’s workings, many singers don’t work with the chorus till the day before opening night. 
  I agree that one should focus on an instrument to take the queue, but I have not sung with enough orchestras solo to nail down a solid queue mark. I know even in chorus I can’t follow the music exactly because the conductor is moving the group ahead of the music. Also, the orchestra speeds up and slows down much slower than a piano so if you are a little distracted putting emotion in your part you end up slowing down and when you realize you’re not with the orchestra you speed up and the orchestra is slowed down because the conductor is trying to follow you.
  FM won’t work in Opera very well. Opera singers need all their ears even when they’re sighted. Also having something around your head is unsightly and the audience can hear the conductor talk. I have talked to conductors and they didn’t have a problem with a special wand, as long as it is not too much heavier.
  A wand was made at San Jose Opera with a light on the end for the last blind performer to perform there and it did not work very well. The performer couldn’t see the wand good enough.
  But a light is very heavy and if a conductor is willing to do that I’m sertan a wand with a transmitter in it would not be much of a problem.
  The difficulty would be in taking care of the latency and making a device small enough to hide under a costume without being noticeable by the audience. I believe something that would tap with a rod on the leg of the performer when ever the conductor changes directions would be the best. Also a second rod that could tap when ever the conductor presses a button on the wand would be very handy as well.
  This would not be unseemly, it would be very easy to follow, it makes conductors feel like they are helping without displeasing the patrons and it could be used by anyone. I don’t think it would be much different than wearing a mic in musical theater. The only problem would be if a blind person played Salomé and danced the 7 veils dance with a solo right after.
  Thanks,

  Brandon Keith Biggs

  From: ayaka.isono at sbcglobal.net 
  Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 10:39 AM
  To: 'This is for discussing music and braille literacy' 
  Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] Wands for blind people/ working with orchestraand ensemble

    I am not a singer, but worked with many singers in opera productions.  One thing I don't think anybody mentioned in the discussion is that there is a long period of practice sessions before singers actually work with orchestra, or so-called dress rehearsal.  For example for San Francisco Opera, singers usually don't get to rehearse with the orchestra till the last minute, usually a week prior or the same week as the opening night.  They might get to do maybe two rehearsals with the orchestra.  That means, it's extremely crucial for the singers to have good sessions with the pianist.  You can ask pianist questions like, "what is the cue before I come in?"  Instead of try listening to the whole orchestra to see when your entrance is, pick one instrument which can give you a better cue.  When you are on the stage, you will be surrounded by a huge sound which you are not used to hear, and won't be able to really hear yourself anyway.  Especially opera, the tempo moves a lot, unlike ballet.  You might not be able to follow the beat the way you are used to because the conductor might move the tempo depending on his/her interpretation of the music.  So, just focus on one instrument which can give you a good cue.  If you try listening to the whole orchestra, you might get panicked.
    Working with a conductor could be tricky.  Some of the conductors could be very helpful, but some not or have no idea.  It is your responsibility to talk to them about what you need and establish good relationship.  Conductors can either save you or kill you on the stage.  It might sound very harsh, but true.  It happens all the time.
    I have so much respect for all the opera singers.  I don't know how you guys manage remembering the music, texts, and choreography on the stage for three to five hours of production

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org [mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of STEPHANIE PIECK
  Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2012 8:40 AM
  To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
  Subject: [Menvi-discuss] Wands for blind people

  Hi,

  I think the FM system idea might work. Honestly, if we are trying to have the sighted musical community take us seriously as "professional musicians", the last thing we need is to say, "Oh, you're gonna need this special conducting baton".

  In my non-musical past, I exhibited dairy goats at competitions at the national level. One of the areas I competed in was showmanship--i.e., how well can you maneuver your animal around the ring, move around with other exhibitors, handle other people's animals, etc. The first thing you learn in these classes is that you have to always keep your goat between you and the judge--they want to see and evaluate the goat, not you, or your backside as your bending over, or your whatever!

  Anyway, we used an FM system like Maureen described for this. This way, I didn't have to have somebody else walking around with me in person telling me when to change sides.

  I think that, unfortunately, despite all the progress that has been made in the area of inclusion and accommodations, we are still dealing with people who, for the most part, have never even met a blind person and have never read anything about blind people. So we're still dealing with the old stereotypes.

  Another unfortunate situation is that music is becoming a profession that's kind of frowned upon because it was one of the "old ways" blind people earned a living. Now, it's much more fashionable to go into the STEM subjects. But not everybody is passionate about numbers, chemicals, engineering, or computers.

  I wish there was some way to form some sort of performing collective--that's not a great word, but I can't come up with a better one right now. If people were given an opportunity to see and hear, over and over and over, in lots of different places, that blind musicians are just as capable as sighted ones, then maybe the attitudes within the overall community would begin to change, too.

  Any solution to this problem is going to be something big--either in scope or in the undertaking. Big problems need big solutions, after all.

  I've really enjoyed the discussions on performing and sight-reading--I have yet to perform with an orchestra as a piano soloist. The one time I did, I organized a group and we did a Mozart concerto--with no conductor! Everybody in the group was sighted except me.

  Stephanie Pieck

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