[musictlk] Sight Rhythms with Conducting Question

Wed Nov 4 00:21:12 UTC 2015

Yes, I whole heartedly agree with this.
To my knowledge, while the recommendation to go to Hadley isn't a terrible
one, it might not be a bad idea if in future folks know, truly, what they're
recommending people to do before sending them on a wild goose chase down a
path which will waste time and not help them.
Now, Hadley offers a Braille Music course, which does *not* have anything to
do with conducting. If you are going to be a music Ed major, and you read
Braille, I recommend if you are not familiar already with reading music, to
familiarize yourself with it. I was a vocal performance major, and the only
blind person in the program at the time at an extremely competitive school,
and it was hugely helpful for upper division theory and composition; not to
mention sight reading to learn my own pieces for voice and multiple choirs;
and quickly.
I'm not one of those musicians that will say that you can't be a good by ear
learner because you can; but there's a place for everything, even reading
music.
Now, onto conducting.
First off, conducting is a skill that you are going to *have* to learn. In
pretty much every music program I know of, especially for ed majors
conducting is a requirement. Where I went to school, even voice majors like
me had to take one conducting class; and the ed majors had many, many, more.
Music ed is no joke, and if you get behind, catching up is not easy. I'm not
saying that to scare you, but I wish that when I was going through my music
degree that people had spent less time blowing sunshine up my butt, and more
time telling me what to expect.
So, I had no clue how to conduct when I took the class. And, technique and
how you look doing it is just as important; and you do have to be able to
sometimes read and conduct at the same time. Plus, memorizing isn't sight
reading; so you're not really completing the requirements which does not an
accommodation make. You also have to manage to do the movements without
looking like a spazz, which does take practice. :D
To learn how to conduct will require someone taking time to teach you hand
over hand. I had many hours of sessions with other students in the class and
fortunately, I also had a professor who was willing to help.
It sounds like this woman has a bit of a tude and got beat with the clueless
stick, and needs a tad bit of kindly educating.
Do you have any people that you're friendly with in the class that can help
you with your conducting? It's a skill your going to need, and you're going
to have to be able to read and conduct at the same time, so learn as much as
you can now. Even if you try it and do both and can only get an 80 percent
because you're still learning, at least you'll have gotten it fairly.
And on that topic: it's not acceptable if you cannot see that she grade you
down for not conducting when you don't know how, especially if she A, knows
you're blind, and B, you've come to her requesting help to learn how to do
this.
It is your responsibility in part to figure out how to advocate for yourself
and learn this, but if you as a student are coming to her for assistance,
it's also her responsibility to give that to you. I would contact student
services not to ask for any accommodation beyond getting someone to help you
to learn how to conduct. There's no reason why you can't sight read and
conduct at the same time; it just takes practice, and again, it's something
you'll have to do later on as a music major at a real four year university,
so figure this out now, because it only gets harder; and harder still if you
go on past your bachelor's degree.

Best of luck to you, and do let us know how you progress!

Amy Billman
Email:
 Amy0223 at gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybillman

-----Original Message-----
From: musictlk [mailto:musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rachel
Grider via musictlk
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2015 4:01 PM
To: Music Talk Mailing List
Cc: Rachel Grider
Subject: Re: [musictlk] Sight Rhythms with Conducting Question

Hi, Rachael:

I had to learn conducting as part of my major and it has served me well. It
is not hard to learn, but really the only way us blind folks can learn it is
by someone actually showing us hand-over-hand. Have you asked a teacher or
classmates to show you? If you are going to be a music major, you will need
to learn it sooner or later. 

Write  me off-list if you would like. 

Rachel 

http//www.rachelgrider.com

> On Nov 2, 2015, at 13:41, josh lester via musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
> 
> Rachael!
> Long time no hear!
> Please consider Hadley's courses, because I'm sure they have some in
> the field you're interested in.
> Also, please feel free to write me off list with anymore questions you
> might have.
> Thanks
> 
>> On 11/1/15, Rachael Abbott via musictlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Hello Everyone on the List,
>> I was hoping some of you might have some good advice for me.
>> 
>> Right now I am completing some credits at a community college to
transfer
>> to a four year university.  I am hoping to major in Music Education for
>> Elementary students.  In my Music Theory 3 and 4 classes we had to
present
>> sight singing and sight rhythm exercises.  Since I am only able to see
one
>> measure at a time I have been memorizing the exercises to present.  For
the
>> sight rhythm assignments my teacher requires that we conduct.
>> 
>> I have never seen conducting and there is no class at the community
college
>> only for conducting.  My first two music theory classes did not require
>> conducting for the sight rhythms.  I told my teacher that I would like to
>> learn conducting and I know it is a skill I need.  I explained it will
take
>> me time to implement the skill because right now it is messing with my
>> memorization.  I mean that once I have it memorized I try to implement
the
>> conducting but then I am thinking about where my had is and the beat and
I
>> mess up the rhythm.
>> 
>> My teacher does not care.  My teacher is really pushing and pressuring me
to
>> complete my sight rhythm assignments.  If I present without conducting I
>> start at 80%.  So if I present perfectly I can only get an 80%.
>> 
>> How have others learned conducting?  Has anyone presented sight rhythms
with
>> conducting and how did you learn?  What is the best way to learn
conducting?
>> Is there any accommodations I can ask for?  Should I take this issue to
the
>> disability support services office and ask for extended time as an
>> accommodation?  How should I handle this situation?
>> 
>> Any feedback or insight would be most appreciated.
>> 
>> Thanks everyone!!!!
>> Best,
>> Rachael
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om
>> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Joshua Lester
> Blessings to you in the name of Jesus Christ
> "Then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized everyone of you in
> the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall
> receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," (Acts, 2:38.)
> 
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