[MusicTlk] A Clarification on the Purpose of and Reason for theBlind Musicians Group

[Linda Mentink]

Thanks Chris.  I have not been asked any questions at all.  I'm a 
senior citizen, after all! Smile.

To add to what you have said, the music division cease to be a 
division in 2005 because of not having enough people willing to 
be officers.  We handed the Showcase of Talent to the Performing 
Arts Division, which, at that time was performance-related only.  
We wanted to keep a focus on music education and Braille Music.  
Under the current leadership, PAD is doing that as well, which I 
am very happy about.  I'm not able to attend the PAD meetings at 
National conventions, so the Blind Musicians Group allows me to 
keep my finger in music, which has always been a big part of my 
life.  Selfish? Maybe, but I hope not.  I'm there to encourage 
and mentor.  The times, they are a-changin'!

Blessings,

Linda

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Nusbaum via MusicTlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org
To: musictlk at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Tue, 2 Oct 2018 14:59:30 -0400
Subject: [MusicTlk] A Clarification on the Purpose of and Reason 
for theBlind Musicians Group

Dear Friends:

Since our national convention, when the Blind Musicians Group 
held a meeting which was attended by many Federationists who were 
previously unfamiliar with our group, a number of people have 
asked me about the purpose of the Blind Musicians Group, 
particularly the reason for our continued status as a separate 
entity from the NFB Performing Arts Division (PAD).  I don't know 
if Linda has also received any such questions, but I believe they 
are valid inquiries which ought to be addressed.  Therefore, I'm 
writing to provide the best response I can to the questions I 
have been asked which I hope will be beneficial to all of our 
members.

As I understand it, both the Blind Musians Group and the 
Performing Arts Division were created out of the NFB Music 
Division, which existed as a formal division of the Federation 
during the 1970s and 80s.  After that division disbanded, blind 
musicians continued to meet at national conventions under the 
auspices of a more informal Blind Musicians Group, which exists 
to the present day.  Then, the Performing Arts Division was 
formed in 2000 to expand the mission of the former Music Division 
to include all performing arts rather than exclusively music.  
Though musicians are of course welcome to join and participate in 
PAD (and many of us do), the Blind Musicians Group still exists 
to provide musicians an opportunity to network and discuss common 
interests among themselves.

To understand the reason for the continued existence of the 
Musicians Group, I think it is important to understand the 
difference between groups and divisions in the Federation.  A 
division is essentially a sub-organization of the Federation, 
similar to state affiliates and local chapters.  Divisions have a 
formal organizational structure with officers, Board members and 
a Constitution, and they undertake certain special projects under 
the banner of their organizations.  Conversely, a group is an 
informal association of NFB members who come together to discuss 
common interests in an "open forum" setting.  Though each group 
has a Chairperson or Coordinator (or more than one), no Board of 
Directors exists and no membership dues are collected.  So, in 
essence, the difference between the Performing Arts Division and 
the Blind Musicians Group is that PAD has a formal organizational 
structure, whereas the BMG is merely an informal discussion forum 
which can also facilitate networking.

In summary, BMG exists as a forum for discussing music and making 
connections between blind musicians.  PAD exists for a similar 
purpose, with the difference being that it includes all 
performing arts and its projects are carried out in a more formal 
setting.  There is no animus or enmity between the two 
organizations.  In fact, we intend to collaborate with PAD on 
more projects in the future because we recognize the overlap 
between our two purposes.  I hope this explanation clears a 
better explanation of how the BMG works and clears up any 
misunderstandings.  Please feel free to direct any questions to 
Linda or myself.  Thank you for your continued participation in 
the Blind Musicians Group!

Warmly,

Chris Nusbaum, Co-Chair
Blind Musicians Group
National Federation of the Blind
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