[blindkid] Braille music (was Re: Jordan Is In!!)

Debby B bwbddl at yahoo.com
Thu Jan 29 22:49:12 UTC 2009


Winona plays trumpet and coronet, and is now learning the French horn in band. She participated in all the parades, and is also in the school's Jazz band. Band director is very good about making sure she's included in everything, makes cds of the music for her, etc. 

We continue to fight for Braille music. The first step was convincing the administration that the TVI is wrong in her claims that Braille music does not exist. <sigh> We have let it slide as a priority as there are so many other issues, but the band director has laid it on the table to them that she MUST learn Braille music so that she can compete in some of these competitions. Each judge for All-state competition told us she didn't make it simply because she doesn't read music.

 Debby 
bwbddl at yahoo.com
www.nfbflorida.org/parents


Please support Braille literacy and programs for our youth by sponsoring me in
the Motor City March for Independence! Better yet, join the team of the FL Parents of Blind Children!
http://www.marchforindependence.org/goto/fpobc 
http://www.marchforindependence.org/goto/debbyb



----- Original Message ----
From: Robert Jaquiss <rjaquiss at earthlink.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 1:52:58 PM
Subject: [blindkid] Braille music (was Re:  Jordan Is In!!)

Hello Sally and List:

    As an amateur musician with a minor in music, I think knowing braille music is very important. That said, the reality is that we will use a variety of methods to learn our music. Some will be learned by reading the music and some will be learned by playing by ear.

Regards,

Robert

----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy & Sally Thomas" <andysally at comcast.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 12:08 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Jordan Is In!!


> I feel kind of stupid asking the question.  I was sitting in a room with the director of special education, 2 other special ed "officials," a couple of TVI's, 2 braillists and who knows who else.  The trainer from TSBVI tells me to think about the one handed instrument.  In the moment I'm thinking that certainly she knows more about this than I do.  I wish I'd responded differently to her since I really was considering it.
> 
> The good side is that the school district is buying Goodfeel and introduced the band and choir directors in the middle school to the concept that blind kids can be musicians.  The directors are excited about the possibilities and are anxious to teach music to a couple of blind kids!  While I agree that training your ear is a good thing, understanding music if you are in an ensemble does have advantages.
> 
> Sally
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carrie Gilmer" <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com>
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)'" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 10:47 AM
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Jordan Is In!!
> 
> 
>> Well Sally, I am sorry but your post provided me with a great laugh this
>> morning. Just when I think I have heard every excuse or myth or artificial
>> limit, I learn a new one. So we either scream, cry or laugh-I went for
>> laughing this morning.
>> 
>> Let's see, how many instruments can be played with one hand only? I guess
>> there is the CAN be like if you only physically had one hand, and then there
>> is the typical. Anyway, blind people play all kinds of instruments and make
>> the choice as does everyone else by desire, ability to blow and use air (I
>> can't spell am-be-shure) and often the choice is made because the parents
>> have an instrument or the school and this is what you get-that is how my
>> husband became a tuba player. My husband is a high school band director.
>> 
>> Many blind musicians do not even know Braille music. But it is very good if
>> you can. Blind musicians have to memorize and it will actually cause him to
>> have to rehearse more and be a better player because of it. The new software
>> called "Smart Music" will be really helpful too.
>> 
>> Jordan has loved the trombone and also played the baritone this year. I know
>> blind piano, trumpet, cello, percussion and many other instruments. They all
>> compete. The cellist is a music professor at a prestigious university here.
>> 
>> No one can really play an instrument and read Braille music well at the same
>> time. Learning Braille music he will read ahead a few measures and then
>> play/practice...just like someone sighted might read ahead a few measures
>> and practices. The difference is he will have to memorize. Debby's daughter
>> is in band too right now-I think Winona is trumpet, maybe Debby can share
>> what they do with a "sight reading" exercise on the spot. He will have to
>> learn to play some by ear.
>> 
>> I saw an interesting show on PBS with James Taylor and Yo Yo Ma, James can
>> not read one note of music--really not one-he is all by ear. Yo Yo is of
>> course a classically trained musician who can read music. Yo Yo actually
>> said that he thought James the better musician and that he had a freedom
>> that classically trained musicians struggle to get--they discussed how music
>> education could improve to contain more playing by ear and feeling and not
>> so in the box by the note read. My husband agreed and the profession is
>> leaning/exploring that way.
>> 
>> Jordan would love to welcome David into the bonehead society-and feel free
>> to have David call him with questions about the trombone.
>> 
>> 
>> Carrie Gilmer, President
>> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
>> A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
>> NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
>> Home Phone: 763-784-8590
>> carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
>> www.nfb.org/nopbc
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Andy & Sally Thomas
>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 6:59 AM
>> To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)
>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Jordan Is In!!
>> 
>> Hey Carrie,
>> 
>> I have a question for Jordon.  David wants to play the trombone in band--we
>> even HAVE a nice trombone so that is a plus.  Yesterday I was told that
>> blind kids should consider playing instruments that can be played with one
>> hand so they can read music and play at the same time.  This is important
>> for competitions, I'm told.  It appears that Jordon has been successful
>> enough with the trombone that he wants to continue playing into adulthood.
>> Does he have any regrets about not playing a one handed instrument?
>> 
>> Sally Thomas
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carrie Gilmer" <carrie.gilmer at gmail.com>
>> To: "'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)'"
>> <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 9:01 PM
>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Jordan Is In!!
>> 
>> 
>>> Hey Kassondra, thanks! He is currently most interested in Constitutional
>>> Law. He just finished his first course focused on Politics and Law and the
>>> teacher told him the last day that in her 35 years he was the most
>>> passionate student about the subject she had ever had. He got a very easy
>>> "A" in it. He has been bouncing around--he was planning on becoming a
>>> lawyer-scientist-chemist-who is a Spanish translator who teaches band and
>>> plays the trombone on the side-smile. I told him to decide by looking in
>>> his
>>> heart for the passion and what set him on fire the most.
>>> 
>>> Now it looks like he has narrowed it to here come de judge (who can also
>>> translate Spanish, understand scientific data and environmental law, stand
>>> up for human rights, plays trombone for stress relief, and reinstates the
>>> white British wigs to the court)!
>>> 
>>> We shall see, smile.
>>> 
>>> It is so hard to believe this is the last half of his last year...time
>>> just
>>> flies. It seems like just so short ago that we sat on the picnic table
>>> outside BLIND, Inc. in the summer and you and Shawn were not even married
>>> yet and Jordan was just 8 years old!
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Carrie Gilmer, President
>>> National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
>>> A Division of the National Federation of the Blind
>>> NFB National Center: 410-659-9314
>>> Home Phone: 763-784-8590
>>> carrie.gilmer at gmail.com
>>> www.nfb.org/nopbc
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>> Behalf Of Kasondra Payne
>>> Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 5:33 PM
>>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)'
>>> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Jordan Is In!!
>>> 
>>> Carrie,
>>> 
>>> Congratulations, from my family to yours!  I am glad he got in.  What will
>>> he study?
>>> 
>>> Kasondra Payne
>>> 
>>> 
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