[MusicTlk] Looking to Connect with Blind Musicians who Sing or Play in Large Ensembles

[Ella Yu]

Hi Catherine, The MENVI webmaster email actually is
menvi-webmaster at menvi.org
The reason I suggested MENVI is because there's just more likely to be the
kind of people you're looking for on that list from what I can tell.

Re: following the conductor. Those are really good questions and hard to
answer. For tempo changes, I usually listen a lot and just play it by feel.
I practice my parts with YouTube recordings a lot so I know what notes and
harmonies to listen for, even though I know the conductor's going to do it
differently. Coming in after a long rest or a tempo change on a fanfare is
a bit of a tricky one, and unfortunately I don't quite have first hand
experience with this. This is because I'm a string player, so if I'm not
100% sure exactly where to come in, I'll just listen and start a fraction
of a second late. This doesn't matter so much in a string section, but
since you're playing your part alone, it's a bigger issue. I think the best
solution is to have someone cue you in those instances, as you said. Hope
this helps.

On Sat, Sep 2, 2023 at 7:03 PM Catherine Getchell via MusicTlk <
musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hi Linda and Ella,
>
> Thanks for getting back to me!  It's great to hear there are others out
> there.  Ella I tried to join MENVI per your suggestion, but when I
> submitted the application on their website, I got a 500 internal server
> error.  I tried twice, same error both times.  When I then tried to send an
> email to the webmaster per the instructions on the error page, I just got
> an email bounce that the email address webmaster at menvi.org is not valid.
> So I'm not sure they're still active?  Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
>
> I'm curious what your tips and techniques are for following the
> conductor?  I usually do fairly well with this, but there are times, like
> coming in with a big trumpet fanfare right at the beginning of a piece, or
> a sudden tempo change where the trumpet needs to lead the way with the new
> tempo, where I struggle.  If I'm lucky, the conductor or someone next to me
> will give a nice breath cue before the downbeat, but sometimes they forget,
> or it's not loud enough.  For the tempo changes, conductors usually figure
> out that they should stick with consistent tempo changes from rehearsal to
> rehearsal, at least if they want me to lock in the correct new tempo right
> away.  I read about a haptic baton by a company called Human Instruments,
> but it doesn't look like this is something you can purchase.  Just curious
> what others do to work around these challenges.  Thanks!
> Catherine
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: MusicTlk <musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Linda Mentink
> via MusicTlk
> Sent: Saturday, September 2, 2023 9:41 PM
> To: Catherine Getchell via MusicTlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Linda Mentink <lmentink7360 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [MusicTlk] Looking to Connect with Blind Musicians who Sing
> or Play in Large Ensembles
>
> Good evening Catherine,
>
> Welcome.
>
> I sang in choirs for many years when I lived in Wisconsin, beginning with
> Concert Choir and Madrigals in college. I had readers dictate all the words
> and music to me. My sharing this is not specific to your questions, but I
> share to say that I'm sure you'll find some here who will be able to help
> and encourage you.
>
> Blessings,
>
> Linda
>
> On Sep 2, 2023 8:17 PM, Catherine Getchell via MusicTlk <
> musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> >
> >
> > I'm new to this list and am not sure how active it is.  But I'm
> > wondering if there's anyone on the list who plays or sings in a large
> > ensemble such as a band, orchestra, or choir.  I'm a totally blind
> > trumpet player and have played for decades in bands and orchestras,
> > both in college and in the community.  Not professionally usually, but
> > I'm pretty active.  I know there are lots of blind musicians out
> > there, but I've never met anyone who plays in large groups.  I'd be
> > interested in meeting people who do, to exchange tips and tricks on
> > things like memorizing large volumes of music, following the conductor,
> and getting music in accessible formats.  Thanks!
> >
> > Catherine
> >
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