(Reprint: Articles from Members - MENVI News 2, Fall 1997)


USING "ED-IT" AND THE BRAILLE LITE
              FOR MUSIC BRAILLE
       by Andrew Meyer (Student Advisor - Eugene, Oregon)

I am a blind trumpet player. My family and I have
found a way to transcribe music braille in a quick and
efficient manner. My former piano teacher learned the
music braille code while I was taking piano. When she
first started transcribing music, she used a braille writer.
When I started playing the trumpet, she continued to
transcribe music braille for me. The school district
provided her with a copy of ED-IT PC (A professional
transcriber's program by Computer Application
Specialties).   Initially, she would save the music on a disk
and the hard copy would have to be printed at the school
district office. It would often take three or four days
before I had a copy in my hands. This year I discovered a
faster and more efficient method. Here are the steps that
we currently use to get music braille:

     1. The braillist enters the braille music into ED-IT
PC and saves it on a disk.
     2. She gives me the disk and I load it into a disk drive
which is specifically made for the Braille Lite.
     3. After downloading the file from the disk into my
Braille Lite, I send it to a braille printer which I have at
home.

I really like the Braille Lite because it is portable and
easy to take to band class. I have a hard copy of the music
immediately and I also have the advantage of being able to
make changes or add comments to the music during
rehearsal.

This Summer I attended a band camp at the University
of Oregon. We were unable to get a print copy  of the
music until three days before camp started. My braillist
was out of town and we panicked. Working together with
Richard Taesch, the university faxed him the music and he
sent it back to us via e-mail transcribed in ED-IT-PC.
After copying it onto a disk and loading it into my Braille
Lite, I was instantly able to have access to the music that
all of the other campers had. Thanks to amazing
technology and wonderful transcribers, I am learning to
read music and enjoying the process!