[Menvi-discuss] Sight-reading

[Julie McGinnity]

Hi everyone.

A note about following the conductor.  I've been told similar
things--that I can't have a role in opera because I can't follow the
conductor, but I don't understand why I can't simply anticipate the
music.  That's what I did all throughout high school and what I do now
in college.  I'm about to have my first solo, yet small, role in our
opera scenes, and I'm hoping that following the conductor won't be a
problem.

I wonder if those opera houses are even willing to give you a chance.
I mean to say: why can't they let you prove that you can follow a
conductor by listening and anticipating?  I know of totally blind
opera singers, and I'm sure that's what they do.

As for me and sight reading, I was also played melodies and then sang
them back.  I wasn't very good at it.  :)  I'm actually better at
sight singing now.  I did nearly make it to all state though two years
in a row.

Stereotypically, music is supposed to be one of the things that blind
people are good at--you know, every blind person has perfect pitch and
all that other nonsense.  This is ironic considering the lack of
acceptance on the part of sighted musicians to their blind colleagues
and competitors.  This isn't to say that all sighted musicians act
this way.  I know personally many who don't, but the disregard of
accomidations to blind music students and the refusal to work with
blind performers on the professional level is astounding.  This is the
main thing I worry about in terms of a performance career for myself.
Does it matter if I give a rock solid audition and have a portfolio
that is beyond perfect if all they see is the disability?

Sorry for the rant.  Just a few thoughts...

On 1/10/12, Brandon Keith Biggs <brandonboy13 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Hello,
> It is one of my dreams to be able to create a conductor's wand that blind
> musicians can follow. I’m planning on making it through school and gather
> information on what I’d need to get company's interested in developing a
> product like this, but so far I haven’t had much success by telling the
> company's that this wand is crucial in being a professional blind musician.
> I need to get numbers and info on grants and funding to be a little more
> convincing in my arguments. If anyone knows how many blind musicians
> graduate from college each year, or how many there are out in the world, or
> know anything like that it would be very helpful. Perhaps this is something
> Dancing Dots could do? Because I’m not sure if DD has literally fulfilled
> the “Dancing” part of their name yet .
>
> I’m not sure what level of orchestras you play in, but I know in my
> community theater I’m barely able to convince the musical directors to let
> me be a part of the chorus because I can’t see the conductor. I’ve talked to
> the smaller professional Opera houses and they said absolutely not ever as a
> lead if I can’t follow the conductor.
> In the professional orchestras that I’ve sung with and my friends sing with
> they meet around 4 times before they perform. If I’m able to make it to the
> big Opera houses like San Francisco I won’t be in rehearsal a day if I want
> to make an understudy debut. If you can’t follow the conductor you are
> unprofessional and won’t be hired, especially in the Opera world. The
> argument against just listening to the music is that because you are behind
> the pit and about 30-40 feet away from the front row the time it takes the
> sound to reach your ears, your brain to respond and the sound from your
> voice to reach the audience you are a half a beet too late. In even the
> community houses that I am a chorus member for, a half a beet is enough to
> never get you hired back.
> I’m surprised nothing like this has been developed considering its crucial
> role in a musician's life.
> Thanks,
>
> Brandon Keith Biggs
>
> From: SClark6144 at aol.com
> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 7:55 AM
> To: menvi-discuss at menvi.org
> Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] Sight-reading
>
> Sometimes you can play with a local group.  Forget the New York
> Philharmonic.
> My student is in college now, and he does not play anymore.
>
> As for following a conductor, the violins have it easy because they can tell
> what to do by hearing the other violins.  If you played a wind, it would be
> much harder because they don't run in a pack like the strings.
>
> Also, as a harpist, I practice my parts with recordings, so when I'm
> practicing, I'm playing without seeing a conductor.
>
> Some orchestra or band players don't look at the conductor much.  You can
> tell during rehearsal because when the conductor wants to stop and tell them
> something, there will be people still playing after he's given the signal to
> stop, so you know they weren't watching him.
>
> Syl
>
>
>
>
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-- 
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