[Menvi-discuss] Support for sighted musicians learning Braille music?

[jeanne50.gallagher at gmail.com]

Hello, Marc,

 

I am a congenitally blind musician and learned to read braille music at an early age from a blind piano teacher. I taught braille music in a music therapy setting. My goals with this particular person were not necessarily musical goals, but she was talented and showed interest in learning, so I used this to work on goals that were extramusical, and she succeeded in achieving her goals and learning to read braille music. 

 

I applaud your desire to learn braille music. Some people are afraid of it. I understand that Bill McCann also wrote a book called “Who”s Afraid of Braille Music?” I haven’t read it myself. I do have a booklet by Bettye Kroelick entitled, “How to Read Braille Music”, which you still might be able to download from the Braille Music section of the National Library Service for the Print Disabled. In addition, you can call on me any time. If you want, I can mail you my contact information offline.

 

Good luck.

 

Jeanne Gallagher

Jeanne50.gallagher at gmail.com

From: Menvi-discuss <menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org> On Behalf Of Marc Sabatella via Menvi-discuss
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2023 3:37 PM
To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy <menvi-discuss at menvi.org>
Cc: Marc Sabatella <marc at outsideshore.com>
Subject: [Menvi-discuss] Support for sighted musicians learning Braille music?

 

As a sighted educator who sometimes works with blind students, I've learned a bit of Braille here and there.  I've long had it in my head to learn more - not expecting to become fluent, but just to be able to help students more.  Also to be able to do small amounts of transcription of simple examples using the basic tools available to me (automatic conversion tools, editing in Toby Rush's Braille Music Notator, etc).  And now, I have one student who is also an educator and is not currently blind but recently learned that this is probably in her future, so she is also interested in getting a head start on learning Braille music.

 

I'm wondering two things.  One, what resources might one recommend for someone in my/our position - sighted educators wanting to learn a little more than just the basics of Braille music?  And two, on the assumption that there really isn't a resource perfectly tailored for this already, what could I do to help facilitate something along these lines?  I have experience in creating accessible online courses and I have a reasonably accessible online community where I could host someone interested in coming on as a coach.

 

-- 

Marc Sabatella
marc at outsideshore.com <mailto:marc at outsideshore.com> 

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