[musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

Sat Nov 30 21:42:10 UTC 2013

Marissa,

If you are thinking of a future in music, then you definitely should learn braille music, but you also need to develop other alternatives as well, as we have 
already discussed.  Good luck, and please continue asking questions.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 01:12:18 -0800, Marissa wrote:

>I am thinking about going and continuing music in the future.

> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com
>To: "Music Talk Mailing List" <musictlk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:54:12 -0600
>Subject: Re: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

>Marissa,

>You are getting exactly at the problem.  Not everyone is 
>comfortable trying to describe notes or time signatures.  Some 
>people can do it well, but you still
>would need to take that information and get it into a form of 
>braille music, once you learn it, and then you still have to 
>memorize it.  I would like very much
>to hear what others think here as others have been students far 
>more recent than I, but I really think you need to use braille 
>music as one of your tools but
>develop a system of making an audio recording and learning from 
>that as another tool.  You don't need to make a professional 
>recording, but just
>something that let's you hear what is being played.  The Apex 
>does record and might be adequate.  The Humanware VR Stream or 
>BookSense book
>players also record.  In a loud band setting, the audio might be 
>too loud and one might have to experiment, but it is an 
>alternative.  There are also digital
>recorders that are not too expensive that you might get your 
>school to purchase as a reasonable accommodation.  If you were to 
>get someone to play the
>part separate from band rehearsal, having them tap their foot as 
>they play would give you a sense of the time.  If they are not 
>able to do that, and that is
>very possible as it might detract from their concentration, they 
>could play with a metronome which click to keep time.  These are 
>just a few ways of
>approaching the problem and there are more that others can help 
>us find.

>Are you thinking of going into music in the future, or is your 
>main concern how best to fit into an activity for now?  Either is 
>okay, obviously, but knowing
>your interests might help us know what to suggest.

>Best regards,

>Steve Jacobson

>On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 19:21:00 -0800, Marissa wrote:

>I have asked my friends to tell me the notes and give the time
>signature to me and they say that it is difficult and how do they
>describe the notes to me? I have three friends who are really
>good at it, but I do not believe they have recorders.  They
>probly have a video camera, but I use an Apex all the time, so
>that wouldn't work very well.

> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com
>To: "Music Talk Mailing List" <musictlk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 20:24:30 -0600
>Subject: Re: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

>Marissa,

>It can be hard sometimes, I do understand that.  Another thing
>that some of us have done is to have a student who plays the same
>part record it for us.  When in college, it is even possible to
>have that person
>be considered a reader and have them get some pay.  In high
>school that option is not quite as easy, although it might be
>something that can be worked out.  Another approach is to buy a
>small recorder and
>record from where you sit during rehearsals with your teacher's
>permission.  You probably sit near other students playing the
>same part, so a recording would tend to get the entire band but
>get your part clearer.
>There may be other variations on this as well that might work for
>you.

>Again, learning braille music if one loves music and takes it
>seriously is very important, and I encourage you to keep working
>on that.  I think others on this list who are more serious and
>better musicians than I
>will ever be, will probably confirm that we need to develop other
>techniques as well to be successful.  The technique that works
>for each of us will vary with our particular tallent and
>strength.  There are ways
>that the software Bill offers can sometimes fill gaps as well.
>If you are talking with him off list as I think I read, he
>probably has already talked about that with you or at least has
>an idea if he has something that
>might help.  Sometimes we have to use our imaginations to
>succeed, and it really doesn't matter if it is fair or not, it's
>just the way it is.  With imagination, we can do more than many
>think we can, and sometimes
>we even surprise ourselves.

>Best regards,

>Steve Jacobson
>the Dancing Dots
>On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 17:02:15 -0800, Marissa wrote:

>My teacher does not have the time to do things like that yet.
>He's still new to teaching me as his first blind student.
>Occationally, my friend and I would go into the practice room,
>during class, and she'd help me out, but that was only sometimes.
>We were very busy with learning the UCLA music to begin with.
>The same went for my parade.  Tecknically, I did not perform at
>either one, because I get stomachaches easily from to much heat
>while in a hot uniform.  lol
>But either way, would have had fake it anyhow.  I did
>in fact, have to fake it in the pep rally in school.  It's
>complicated really.

>So my teacher, one of them, can read music.  Mr.  Sander's, my
>band teacher, gave me the music and I gave it to Mrs.  Florence,
>who wrote the notes in.  A kid in her class, (it is a class to
>catch up on work, so not much to do there), read it to me and I
>typed it out on my Perkin's brailler.  But she is a teacher after
>all, so does not have
>time to do it always.  I got YMC just in time and practiced some
>of it, but didn't do that well if you want to know.  lol

>I feel bad for Mr.  Sanders, because he is so new at teaching a
>blind student, and not just teaching, teaching music for that
>fact.  He just gives the kids there music and has them sightread
>it, but that obviously wouldn't work with me.

>I'm hoping that he will go to my I.E.P.  so I can talk to him
>about things that would help both of us, if not, I'm going to
>hunt him down at lunch.  lol
> ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com
>To: "Music Talk Mailing List" <musictlk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 18:28:16 -0600
>Subject: Re: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

>Marissa,

>I'm curious, why did you have to fake it at the Rose Bowl?  Even
>those of us who know braille music have been in the position
>where we had to learn our part by ear, usually by having someone
>play it on a
>recorder of some type.  I am all for braille music, but even
>braille music takes extra preparation since it is generally not
>easy to read and play as people do when they sight read, although
>it is sometimes possible
>depending upon the instrument.

>Best regards,

>Steve Jacobson

>On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 12:45:21 -0800, Marissa wrote:

>Alright.  I will email this to a teacher who will forward it to
>my band teacher.  Thanks, all.
>Is there any other things that would help in band because it is
>very annoying not having your music, especally when it is very
>important, like performing at the Rose Bowl, which wasn't fun
>because I didn't have music and had to fake it.

> ----- Original Message -----
>From: Joshua Lester <JLester8462 at pccua.edu
>To: Music Talk Mailing List <musictlk at nfbnet.org
>Date sent: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 19:46:54 +0000
>Subject: Re: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

>I'll get them.
>I haven't read Braille music since the fifth grade.
>Blessings, Joshua
>________________________________________
>From: musictlk [musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Bill
>[billlist1 at verizon.net]
>Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 1:40 PM
>To: 'Music Talk Mailing List'
>Subject: Re: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

> Is this program as difficult to work with as the books from
>Hadley?

>Degree of difficulty varies according to each person's level of
>experience
>with reading braille in general and understanding of music
>theory.  I
>suggest that you borrow the books and decide for yourself.

>Best,
>Bill

>----Original Message-----
>From: musictlk [mailto:musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>Joshua
>Lester
>Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 1:41 PM
>To: Music Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

>Is this program as difficult to work with as the books from
>Hadley, on my
>bookshelf?
>Thanks, Joshua
>________________________________________
>From: musictlk [musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Bill
>[billlist1 at verizon.net]
>Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 12:36 PM
>To: 'Music Talk Mailing List'
>Subject: Re: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

>Thank you, Joshua.  Marissa and I have been corresponding
>off-list.  One of
>the things I told her was that it is possible to borrow the
>braille music
>courses which Dancing Dots publishes from the Music Section of
>the National
>Library Service for the Blind.  Qualified patrons may borrow
>materials free
>of charge for a period of up to 6 months.  If you already receive
>services
>from your regional library for the blind, you will certainly
>qualify to
>borrow materials from the Music Section.  Call 1-800-424-8567 to
>reach the
>Music Section.  Ask to borrow braille music courses authored by
>Richard
>Taesch:
>"An Introduction to Music for the Blind Student: A Course in
>Braille Music
>Reading", Part I

>http://www.dancingdots.com/main/braillemusicinstruction.htm

>Regards,
>Bill McCann
>President
>Dancing Dots

>-----Original Message-----
>From: musictlk [mailto:musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
>Joshua
>Lester
>Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 9:40 AM
>To: Music Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

>Yes.
>Bill McCan is the founder of Dancing Dots.
>I'll send you the Website off list.
>Blessings, Joshua
>________________________________________
>From: musictlk [musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Marissa
>[marissat789 at gmail.com]
>Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 8:37 AM
>To: Music Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

>Who? And I need a free way.  Is dancing dots free?

>----- Original Message -----
>From: Joshua Lester <JLester8462 at pccua.edu
>To: Music Talk Mailing List <musictlk at nfbnet.org Date sent: Fri,
>29 Nov 2013
>14:32:47 +0000
>Subject: Re: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

>Hi Marissa.
>Look at Dancing Dots and see if they can help you.
>Bill McCan is on this list.
>Thanks, Joshua
>________________________________________
>From: musictlk [musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Marissa
>[marissat789 at gmail.com]
>Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 8:29 AM
>To: Music Talk
>Subject: [musictlk] Can anyone help me with braille music?

>I want to learn to read braille music and to write braille music.
>I am not able to get music for Band for some reason.  I can't
>read it.  lol
>I do not have a teacher who has time to help me with it, so I
>need to learn
>on my own time.  If anyone has a music sheet with the symbols and
>what they
>are, that'd be great.
>Meaning like this
>(I know some of it, just can't write it)

>d: halfnote for c
>ed: quarter note for c
>I probley got it wrong, but you get the idea.  Thanks.

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