[MusicTlk] Braille music transcription

[Tara Briggs]

Hi all! I have a few questions about braille music transcription. First of all, I have spent the past 10 months learning braille music with a private Braille music teacher, and I’ve loved it! Leslie is so knowledgeable and inspirational, because as a professional, blind cello player, she uses Braille music all the time herself! During my  flute lesson  yesterday, we used Braille music for the entire hour, and it was fabulous! My flute teacher has commented that I am much more solid in my playing, and it has made a difference!
 So here are my questions. First of all, I gather that a human transcriber is still necessary. I know dancing dots has a music transcription program, and I recently heard about a program called sao mai Braille that can translate an electronic music file into braille music. Does anyone have experience with these programs? I just find it so strange that there doesn’t seem to be a way to easily translate an electronic music file into braille music. I would love to hear about anyone’s experiences with these programs.
My daughter recently successfully auditioned into the advanced Orchestra at her middle school. She’s very excited! However, her one area where she struggles is reading music. I now have the knowledge to help her. Has anyone had success in having your child’s school give you access to their music in braille? It is  my understanding that under the Americans With Disabilities Act, I have the right to access my child’s education. Any help with these two questions would be great! Thanks so much!