[MusicTlk] Recent Braille Music Goodies, have a look

[Ella Yu]

Hey everyone, Hope all is well.
I just wanted to share some braille music related items/goodies that
recently came out, mostly from Sound Without Sight, but there's one from
another place as well. I know, it's quite a bit of stuff.

Playing in an orchestra at the BBC Proms as a blind musician
<https://soundwithoutsight.org/replay-now-playing-in-an-orchestra-at-the-bbc-proms-as-a-blind-musician/>
"In this episode of the Sound Without Sight podcast, we welcome recorder
player James Risdon, whose work has led him from Bach to Bowie, the Middle
Ages to Minimalism. He recently performed with Paraorchestra and the Breath
at the BBC Proms.
James speaks about his experience as orchestral musician, focusing on the
Proms concert, including:
• The techniques he used to learn his parts, combining braille music and
audio.
• His experiences of navigating rehearsals.
• And of course, performing in the Proms itself, including some audio clips…
Purpose: James’s primary motivation was not self-promotion, but to inspire
blind and partially sighted musicians, as well as parents and teachers. He
aimed to demonstrate that, with preparation, appropriate tools, and
supportive environments, it is entirely possible for a blind musician to
perform in an orchestra, including at the highest-profile events such as
the BBC Proms. This message challenges assumptions James himself grew up
with, when orchestral playing felt inaccessible."

Making the BBC Radio documentary ‘Joining the Dots – 200 Years of Braille
Music’
<https://soundwithoutsight.org/replay-now-making-the-bbc-radio-documentary-joining-the-dots-200-years-of-braille-music/>
"In this episode of the Sound Without Sight podcast, we explore the making
of the BBC Radio 3 documentary, “Joining the Dots – 200 years of Braille
Music”. Producer, Kevin Satizabal, and presenter, Matthew Wadsworth, will
provide behind-the-scenes insights into:
• How they got into their roles.
• The inspiration behind the documentary.
• Its recording and editing process, and the gear they used.
They also share some clips from the documentary and answer questions from
our community."
Notes from me: While this episode/meeting session touches on braille music,
there is also a lot of information about audio recording, audio editing,
and production that would be interesting as well.

Feel the Notation: treble and bass clef symbols as braille graphics
<https://soundwithoutsight.org/hub-articles/feel-the-notation-treble-and-bass-clef-symbols-as-braille-graphics/>
"From livingbraille.eu:
Today, thanks to James Bowden, we are filling a small gap in our knowledge
about music and combining it with Braille in a wonderful way.
So far, we know how Braille music notation works in principle and that it
is structured differently from music notation for sighted people.
What we don’t yet know, however, is what “normal” musical notation actually
looks like.
James has clearly illustrated this in his contribution using Braille
graphics. You can already see the image on here, and James has kindly
provided the files for you to print out yourself."
Note: Duxbury + an embosser are required, but this is nonetheless
interesting.

Braille Music Now <https://www.braillemusicnow.com/>
Australian braille music transcriber Christina Christensen has started a
resource called Braille Music Now, intended to raise awareness of braille
music among (sighted) music educators, directors, etc.
In her words: "Most music educators complete their training without ever
seeing a page of Braille music. Not because they don’t care — but because
no one ever showed them how accessible music literacy actually works.
That changes today.
I’ve created a free 2-page guide + classroom poster designed to help
teachers feel confident supporting blind and low-vision musicians from day
one.
Accessible music education should never feel like an add-on — it should be
integrated, clear, and fully achievable.
And as part of this new chapter, I’ll also be sharing regular cello-based
demonstrations to show how Braille music works in real musical contexts.
If you’ve ever wondered how Braille rhythm, intervals, patterns, or
articulations are interpreted — you’re going to love what’s coming.
My mission is simple: Empower teachers. Support inclusion. Remove barriers
before they appear.
If you’re a music educator, ensemble director, lecturer, or accessibility
professional, I’d love for you to download the free guide and join this
movement toward fully inclusive music classrooms." (Source:
Facebook/Instagram launch post)
Notes: Check out her website at braillemusicnow.com to access the
resources, and the corresponding social media pages at Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567279741411>, Instagram
<https://www.instagram.com/braille_music_now/>, and/or LinkedIn
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/braille-music-now/posts/?feedView=all>.