[musictlk] By Ear GVersus Reading Braille

[Elizabeth Slaughter]

Yes, mike, I agree with you that braille music notation is vital when
learning classical, or any venue where the musician wants to adhere
strictly to the composer. I learned braille music many years ago, but
having switched mostly from piano to organ, playing 90% of the time over
the past 25 years for african-american congregations, braille music
scores have not been as important to me.

However, I must admit having forgotten much of what I knew about braille
music, and it would only take a matter of a few days to rebuild my
skill. I would like to pursue it again, as I would like to refresh my
skill on classical pieces. One can get burned out playing one style of
music, but circumstances just turned my interest more from strictly
classical to gospels and spirituals, and I often find myself referring
to the written text for anthems. I pick up hymns by ear, but want to
give all credit to the composer of anthems, and often, the music score
is the only answer.

Perhaps, mike, you can tell me what programs I would purchase to print
and emboss piano and organ music. Have any idea about cost, systems
requirements, etc?

Elizabeth



and other music as well written by another composer, especially 

-----Original Message-----
From: musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Mike Freeman
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2008 9:32 AM
To: musictlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [musictlk] By Ear GVersus Reading Braille


I believe that braille music is vitally important to anyone aspiring to
be a classical musician. the reason is simple: although learning by ear
is an extremely useful skill and is often necessary for choral music,
band music and other quick-study items that are either not available or
cannot be obtained in time to be useful, learning by ear means that one
is learning someone else's interpretation of the music rather than
seeing what markings the composer or music editor wrote and crafting
one's own interpretation. If necessary, one can teach someone to qead
braille music to you and you can write your own braille copy from the
dictation.

That said, learning to play by ear is virtually a necessity in jazz and
rock music venues.

So learning guitar riffs by ear is a good idea and many a sighted
musician does the same thing, if one is to play, say, the preludes of
Hector Villalobos or 
enriquez's "Concierto del Sur", braille music is a must.

Mike Freeman

----- Original Message -----
From: "Julie C. Vogt" <jcvogt at pressenter.com>
To: "NFBnet Music Talk Mailing List" <musictlk at nfbnet.org>
Date: Sunday, Dec 28, 2008 7:12:05
Subject: [musictlk] By Ear GVersus Reading Braille

>
>
> I have a quick ear.  Except for really complicated parts, I can 
> usually hear a piece and know it.  When I was 21 and went to MacPhail 
> College of Music (which is no more) I could learn an unfamiliar sonata

> movement in about two hours and play it through.
> 
> I learned to read Braille music and kept up with it till I was at 
> MacPhail.  There wasn't much Braille music for what I wanted and was 
> required to learn.  I could learn so much faster on tape, and they 
> kept changing things about the Braille music code so  that I became 
> discouraged with the Braille and left it.  I've never had a need to 
> use Braille music since then.
> 
> 
> 
> "Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human

> soul," American Humorist Mark Twain
> 
> "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us," Dr. Kenneth 
> Jernigan, Immediate Past President, National Federation of the Blind
> 
> "A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their 
> contentions are like the bars of a castle." Proverbs 18 19. KJV
> 
> "Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed up in overalls 
> and looks like work." Thomas Edison.
> 
> "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more 
> important than any other one thing." Abraham Lincoln
>   
> "Faith is the ability to see God in the dark.," (unknown)
> 
> "No one can do it for us but us," Rev. Jesse Jackson, Operation Push, 
> 1976.
> 
> "With proper training, development, and opportunity, blindness can be 
> reduced to the level of a physical nuisance or characteristic," the 
> Late Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, Past President, National Federation of the 
> Blind.
> 
> Julie Vogt or jcvogt at pressenter.com
> 
> 
> 
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