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<DIV>Hello,</DIV>
<DIV>I would say 3rd grade is a perfect time to introduce music to your student.
If they are like me who does not like reading literary Braille and never has,
but loves reading music, it will increase their literary braille speed as well
as their music reading speed navigating through their scores.</DIV>
<DIV>It is like talking pig latten, it looks like English, but when you try to
pronounce the words you get stuff like thoederouowwth, a perfectly ledgable C
scale. <IMG
style="BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none; BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none"
class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-openmouthedsmile" alt="Open-mouthed smile"
src="cid:DF65B783A5A04160843EDF6A7F9846ED@BrandonsLaptop2"></DIV>
<DIV>I never had any problem with telling the 2 apart, and that is often times
how I can figure out if I’m reading lyrics or not is by the way the word sounds.
if it is between “caro mio ben” and thwowou, I think I’ll go for the first
line...</DIV>
<DIV>Thanks,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Brandon
Keith Biggs<BR></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=themusicsuite@verizon.net
href="mailto:themusicsuite@verizon.net">STEPHANIE PIECK</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, January 16, 2013 1:10 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=menvi-discuss@menvi.org
href="mailto:menvi-discuss@menvi.org">This is for discussing music and braille
literacy</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Menvi-discuss] Note reading</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">
<DIV>Hello,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am a totally blind concert pianist and piano teacher, with both blind and
sighted students. I introduce music literacy to all my students, blind or
sighted, with the understanding that, since both groups contain students with a
wide range of cognitive abilities, some of them will get a better grasp of
music-reading than others.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In Braille, there are only six dots, and so there are only a limited number
of ways these can be combined (63, I think?--sorry if that's wrong, but I'm not
a math expert!). Print can be written--drawn, really--in limitless ways. Just
compare the Japanese, Russian, Arabic, and English alphabets for proof!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Keeping "English" (literary) and "music" Braille straight is a problem that
many people make bigger than it needs to be, especially if they are responsible
for making sure a kid can read in school. I have had many parents and teachers
express doubt about whether it's a "good idea" to introduce Braille music at
all. "Won't it confuse them?"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In most cases, done properly, the answer is "No".
<DIV>If the student understands that, even though there are still six dots being
used, the WAY they get used is different depending on whether they're reading
"English" or music, the confusion can be kept to a minimum.</DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In Braille, octave signs are used to show how high or low particular
pitches are. So, when I begin Braille music with any student who is either just
learning literary Braille; has other learning difficulties; or is just not a
particularly strong Braille reader, I explain that there are certain
combinations of dots that will "announce" that they are reading music, not
literary, Braille. The octave signs--or in most of my students' cases, the right
and left hand signs used in piano music--are the "announcers".</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have found this method works well with a majority of students. Will they
sometimes make mistakes? Sure! But they often find it humorous to be told
something like: "This sign means: Hey! Here's Music, Not English!"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>They will also find it funny to try "reading" their music aloud as English
Braille, but they'll know they're doing it.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And one more thing: Teachers only have to know enough to stay ahead of
their students. (Of course, this is pretty simplistic, since I think we all
would like to be thoroughly comfortable with what we're trying to teach!) For
TVI's, knowing the way to write notes and rhythms; a few octave signs; time
signatures and rests; double bars and measures will be enough.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>After all, you probably aren't expecting your third graders to be reading
Beethoven orchestral scores--let alone piano sonatas--at the end of one
year.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>There is an excellent little book, available from National Braille Press,
called "Who's Afraid of Braille Music?" by Richard Taesch. It's available in
both print and Braille, and while it isn't as comprehensive as other courses out
there, it wasn't designed to be. It's meant to give everyone--teachers, parents,
and students--a way to get started without the trepidation that this subject can
often instill in people.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In closing, I applaud you for thinking about how to give your blind
general-music student exposure to the Braille music code. This is how I was
introduced to it, back in third grade. I use it for almost everything
now--preparing for recitals and competitions; teaching; composing.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I was by no means an exceptional student--in fact, I was reluctant, didn't
practice, and probably caused no amount of frustration to my parents and
teachers. But if it hadn't been for a public school music teacher like yourself,
who thought Braille was important or had an inkling that it might be, I wouldn't
be in the profession I'm in today.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Stephanie Pieck</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=MWalker@oceansideschools.org
href="mailto:MWalker@oceansideschools.org">Mary A. Walker</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=menvi-discuss@menvi.org
href="mailto:menvi-discuss@menvi.org">This is for discussing music and braille
literacy</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, January 16, 2013 2:58
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Menvi-discuss] Note
reading</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman; DIRECTION: ltr; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small">
<DIV>Thank you for your thoughtful responses. I will share them with my
TVI and other colleagues. I have taught students with a variety of
special needs over the years. I have been teaching a student who is
blind for the past two and a half years in general music. She is in a
class with 22 sighted students. I have done my best to give her the
tools she will need to be an independent musician, however we are at the point
(3rd grade) where the lessons progress into more complicated sight
reading. My student is still learning to read literary braille so I
understand the debate about when to teach braille music very well. The
TVI in my building is a first year teacher and doesn't have much experience
with music. We are trying to navigate how and when it is appropriate to
teach note reading. </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>It is invaluable for me to hear what is done in other schools in order to
contribute to our discussion on how to handle note reading. I'm not a
stickler for note reading but I believe that all of my students should be
taught to learn music both aurally and through reading for precisely the
reasons Mr. McCann stated when he said, "But learning by ear can remove us
from the source of the information because we end up mimicking the
interpretation of whoever read that score and realized it." This is
precisely the reason why we teach note reading to any student. </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial>Thanks again for all of your input. I've already learned
a great deal since joining this group over the summer. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=arial>Sincerely,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Script>Mary A. Walker</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=script>School #3 Music Teacher</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=script>Oceanside School District</FONT></DIV></DIV>
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face="Times New Roman"></FONT> </DIV>
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<HR tabIndex=-1>
<FONT color=#000000 size=2 face=Tahoma><B>From:</B> Menvi-discuss
[menvi-discuss-bounces@menvi.org] On Behalf Of SClark6144@aol.com
[SClark6144@aol.com]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, January 16, 2013 2:00
PM<BR><B>To:</B> menvi-discuss@menvi.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re:
[Menvi-discuss] Note reading<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT id=role_document color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><FONT size=3>I wonder just how Laurie would notate music, other than
linearly. She doesn't offer a better way. I don't mean to be
sarcastic, but a print reader can see, and print music is a visual
representation of sound. Braille music is linear because the reader
cannot see it. When I did research for my book, I found some examples of
raised print music (the pictures are in my book) that people had attempted to
use for blind readers. Obviously, that was not successful. It's
one thing to look at notes on a staff and quite another to touch the whole
picture (which is what it is) and try to figure out what it is.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3>Syl</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 1/16/2013 1:36:52 P.M. US Eastern Standard Time,
bnbdowning70@embarqmail.com writes:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px"><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>Amen
to that!!<BR><BR><BR>On Jan 16, 2013, at 12:25 PM, Dale Lieser
wrote:<BR><BR>> Well stated, Bill.<BR>> <BR>> From:
Menvi-discuss [mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces@menvi.org] On Behalf Of
Bill<BR>> Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 1:09 PM<BR>> To: 'This is
for discussing music and braille literacy'<BR>> Subject: Re:
[Menvi-discuss] Note reading<BR>> <BR>> Dear Ms.
Walker,<BR>> <BR>> Here’s a quote from an interview Laurie Rubin
gave to the Wall Street Journal blog:<BR>> <BR>> “There is
braille notation, but I don’t tend to use it. I came to braille music very
late. The thing that I don’t like is that it’s so linear, and you’re taking
in everything piecemeal. A sighted person can look at a whole score and they
can see where it’s going. When you’re looking at braille music, it’s note by
note by note. It just gives me the willies. It’s like putting thread through
a needle. It’s painstaking. I do most everything by ear.”<BR>>
<BR>> So Miss Rubin would not seem to be a valuable source of
encouragement on the topic of note-reading in braille. One excellent
singer who completely understands how braille music works and how to
integrate it into her own work is Jessica Bachicha. I am not sure if
she is a subscriber on this MENVI listserv but I am sure that she is a
member. You should be able to find her listed in the MENVI
directory. In addition, there are numerous subscribers here who know a
great deal about the subject as many of us are blind musicians who have used
braille music for a long time. That is, you have come to the right
place to ask. J<BR>> <BR>> An observation on Rubin’s
quote: yes, “A sighted person can look at a whole score and they can see
where it’s going” and a sighted person can also look down the road while
driving a car and see things like traffic signals and roadblocks. The
sense of sight allows people who have it to perceive objects without having
to touch them. The human eye can zoom in and zoom out. The
medium of print music notation matches the visual capabilities of sighted
people fairly well. <BR>> <BR>> But so what? If we cannot
see, we must find another way. Certainly learning by ear is a coping
strategy which I have used myself when braille scores were not
available. But learning by ear can remove us from the source of the
information because we end up mimicking the interpretation of whoever read
that score and realized it. <BR>> <BR>> Louis Braille designed
his ingenious music system to match how blind people perceive information by
touch. In a sense, we are always zoomed in to the braille character
that fits beneath the tip of a finger. The medium of braille
notation is well suited to how blind people acquire information
tactually. Linear presentation delivers information in a logical
progression. The order of braille music signs supports memorization.
Blind vocalists can actually read while singing but instrumentalists must
memorize the score before performing it.<BR>> <BR>> Just as
sighted musicians must synthesize score information into an internal picture
of the score, so too must we blind musicians. We all must internalize
the music before we can competently perform or analyze it. In other
words, our brains must understand the music. Print and braille music
notation are just different methods to deliver the information to our
brains. <BR>> <BR>> Bill McCann<BR>>
President<BR>> Dancing Dots Braille Music Technology, L.P.<BR>>
www.DancingDots.com<BR>> Tel: 610-783-6692<BR>>
<BR>> <BR>> From: Menvi-discuss
[mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces@menvi.org] On Behalf Of Mary A. Walker<BR>>
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 8:51 AM<BR>> To: This is for discussing
music and braille literacy<BR>> Subject: [Menvi-discuss] Note
reading<BR>> <BR>> Hello Everyone!<BR>> <BR>> I am
an elementary general and choral music teacher interested in learning how to
read braille music. I have two questions. <BR>> <BR>>
1. Do you have any course recommendations for braille music and/or
teaching music to the visually impaired? My colleague recommended the
Hadley School for the Blind online course. <BR>> <BR>> 2.
In what context do students typically learn to read braille music?
From a private music teacher? A TVI? Or a public school music
teacher? I recently read Laurie Rubin's book, hoping to gain insight
into how to best support note reading in the classroom setting. It was
a great book but she did not go into specifics related to note reading.
<BR>> <BR>> Any recommendations are greatly appreciated!
<BR>> <BR>> Thank you!<BR>> <BR>>
Sincerely,<BR>> <BR>> Mary A. Walker<BR>> School #3 Music
Teacher<BR>> Oceanside School District<BR>> <BR>> From:
Menvi-discuss [menvi-discuss-bounces@menvi.org] On Behalf Of Timothy Clark
Music [timothyclarkmusic@me.com]<BR>> Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2013
3:10 AM<BR>> To: This is for discussing music and braille
literacy<BR>> Subject: [Menvi-discuss] Fwd: [Members] I have four magic
questions for you...<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Timothy <BR>>
Your friend in the music industry <BR>>
http://www.timothyclarkmusic.tumblr.com <BR>>
7244011224<BR>> <BR>> Begin forwarded message:<BR>>
<BR>> <BR>> From: **Chris Rockett**
<contact@promoteyourmusic.net><BR>> Subject: [Members] I have four
magic questions for you...<BR>> Date: January 13, 2013 12:21:20 AM
EST<BR>> To: Timothy Clark Music
<timothyclarkmusic@me.com><BR>> <BR>> Hey
Guys,<BR>> <BR>> Just wanted to share a few questions I've
started asking myself<BR>> every morning to stay on track...think they
will help you too.<BR>> <BR>> Here goes...<BR>>
<BR>> 1) What five things must I do today to move my music career<BR>>
forward?<BR>> <BR>> 2) Who do I need to speak to today who can
help me <BR>> on the journey?<BR>> <BR>> 3) Who have I
already reached out to and need to follow up with?<BR>> <BR>> 4)
What are the main things I must complete today,<BR>> no matter what? (Do
this stuff first)<BR>> <BR>> That's it!<BR>> <BR>>
Try and hold off looking in your email inbox until you have got the<BR>>
most important things done, because your email will usually be full of
a<BR>> bunch of stuff that other people want you to do and you suddenly
<BR>> have no time left for yourself.<BR>> <BR>> I'd love to
hear some of your answers.<BR>> <BR>> - Chris<BR>>
<BR>> --------------------------------<BR>> <BR>> Founder of
Music Marketing Classroom<BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
.<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> Flat 6 109 Warhouse Rd, London, SW8 9EP,
UNITED KINGDOM<BR>> Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options<BR>>
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