[MusicTlk] Flute player looking for resources

[Ella Yu]

Hi Shannon, Hopefully others chime in, but I'll try to help. It's great
that you want to learn braille music. As for learning braille music, there
are a number of books you can purchase and possibly have shipped to you,
such as An Introduction to Braille Music by Richard Taeasch or How to Read
Braille Music by Bettye Krolick. Those should get you started. As for
getting print music transcribed into braille, unfortunately you will still
need sighted assistance in some form. There is software that can turn
musicxml files (an exchange format exported from notation programs like
MuseScore, Finale, and Sibelius) into braille, but musicxml files are not
readily available, so a sighted friend would have to transcribe the music
into notation software first before you convert it to braille. There is
also optical music recognition software that can convert pdf or image based
sheet music into a file that can be edited in notation software, but the
results will not be fully accurate so you'll still need sighted assistance
to fix the errors. You will also need a braille display in order to read
the braille music files (usually .brf format, which braille displays
recognize), or else you'll have to have an embosser and possibly Duxbury to
emboss the music on paper. Anyhow, hope this helps.

On Sun, May 28, 2023 at 6:53 AM Shannon Williams via MusicTlk <
musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I am a blind flute player. When I first started learning music I was able
> to
> read very large printed music (it fit 2 lines of music on a page the
> largest
> paper the photocopier could use) and when my vision decreased I used a CCTV
> to read music and moved the xy table back and forth with my elbow while I
> played and memorized as I practiced so I wouldn't need the CCTV when I
> played. That was high school music for me. Fastforward 10 years when I
> picked up the flute again to play with a community group. This time my
> vision was worse and I had to use audio to learn. Someone from the band
> would record my part for me on a piano and give me all relevant information
> including note names (I don't have perfect pitch), accidentals, key and
> time
> signatures , any written notes for tempo and other things.
>
>
>
> My question is, I'd like to learn other ways of learning music so I don't
> have to depend on someone to record my parts all the time. I know there is
> computer software out there as well as braille music. I'd love to get your
> thoughts on what works well. I live in Canada so do not have access to NLS
> services but I'd love to learn Braille music somehow and if there is any
> software that people are liking. I have access to Windows 10, Mac ventura,
> IOS and Android so I'm open to whatever people are using that works well.
> Also if there are any blind flute players out there who know where I can
> get
> material for expanding my knowledge and playing ability of the flute like
> technique or fingering charts for notes and trills or alternate fingerings
> that are in accessible format I would be very grateful.
>
>
>
> Sorry for the long email but any information you can give would be
> appreciated.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
>
>
> Shannon
>
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