[Menvi-discuss] Suggestions for expediting assignments.

[Sonja Biggs]

Brandon has been seriously dedicated to learning music since the age of 14. He just turned 20.  Unfortunately, he has always had to find out for himself how to do it. When he was in highschool, even though I asked for it in the IEP, he was refused braille music instruction on the basis that there was no one that could teach it and the other students in choir weren't learning it. When we moved to CA, it was still denied on his IEP by the district because there was no one in the Santa Clara County of Education Visually Impaired Program that could teach it. All of this made me very angry, as a parent, but I did not know what to do either. I had never heard of MENVI and had only barely heard of Dancing Dots. We discovered only last year about this listserve, got the Dancing Dots programs for Brandon, and met Grant H. and Ayaka at CTEBVI. Brandon has taught himself braille music through the Dancing Dot materials in the last year when we finally found out what was available. He has been basically teaching himself music theory until this school year by reading books on his own. We were really hoping this theory class would be what he needed. But it is not. Neither of his parents are musical. We have tried our best to provide for him, but it has been difficult to learn what is available and then getting him what he needs. Now, it breaks my heart to hear that he is  not really learning what is important in his music theory class. I copied a sample theory placement test and had him take that to his teacher so at least those concepts would be addressed. I am thankful for Betty Downing transcribing the music for him. If it wasn't for this list, we would have never found her. Brandon learns so quickly and is so focused and dedicated. It was crushing for us to spend $3000 last year for applications, auditions, and traveling to 5 conservatories back east, only to be denied to all five. We knew that his best instruction would come from a conservatory. However, his lack of instruction in braille music and music theory really hurt him. He has focused heavily this year on filling in that gap in his education. We are praying he gets admitted to the University of the Pacific where he can really learn all that is necessary to learn about music. He is very gifted and to see him struggle to get the education he deserves and needs is gut wrenching to me. Perhaps you have heard this hundreds of times about other students. I just wish that there was a way we could make it more known how to have an accessible music education so other students don't have to go through the heartache that our family has. 
 
Sonja Biggs, MA, TVI, COMS
Vista Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired
2470 El Camino Real, Suite 107
Palo Alto, CA  94306
650-833-9766

"Dream the impossible dream...then live it!" --Brandon Keith Biggs, Age 19, Blind Performer, LCA-CRB1

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From: menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org [menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of Brandon Keith Biggs [brandonboy13 at comcast.net]
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 8:47 AM
To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] Suggestions for expediting assignments.

Hello,
I auditioned for 5 conservatories last year and didn't get into any of them.
This year I've auditioned for 3 and I'm partially in 2 and I'm waiting on
the 3rd. The reason why I went to a community College first was because I
wanted to start college early and I wanted to make sure I knew without a
doubt that music was the path I wanted to go. I've been at this college for
4 years and it was a year ago that I finally started the music path, so I
need this class and the same class next quarter to graduate. I had a feeling
this would happen last year, but being rejected from every conservatory kind
of put a damper on my high expectations.
I'm applying to University of the Pacific this year and I'm waiting to hear
in March if I got in. (I'm having nightmares of getting a rejection letter
from them!)
I'm also applying to UCSC and CSU Eastbay in CA as backup and I'm partially
in both of those.
I'm kind of frantic to get out of this college...
Thanks,

Brandon Keith Biggs
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Smart
Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 8:09 AM
To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] Suggestions for expediting assignments.

Brandon, can I ask something? Feel free to tell me if I'm totally
off the mark here. But, if you're so kean on music, and fairly
knowledgeable already, why aren't you enrolled in a good music
program somewhere? It sounds like you may be wasting your time in
this class.
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