[NABS-L] Senior Project on Braille Music

[Luther Fuller]

Hi,
I started learning Braille music at age ten, after I had been playing piano for about five years. Until then, my piano teacher would play a bit of right hand and I would copy it, then she would play the corresponding left hand part, I would copy it, and so on. My mom was referred to my Braille music teacher by the parents of a blind friend of mine. This teacher had taught at the Kansas State School for the Blind before she retired. I was lucky to be at the right age at the tail end of when she was still teaching before she stopped altogether (she was in her early 80s), as I don't know of anyone teaching Braille music in the area anymore. That said, a student can probably learn it with just a book and, at a young age like I was, some help from a TVI.
I used Braille music for all my classical piano repertoire from middle school through college,  as well as in band from 6th through 9th grade. In band, I would usually hear, in recordings and in our first read-through, which sections of the piece featured my instrument (clarinet) prominently and skip to those sections in my score. I think the school used a transcription contractor in Wichita.
I still use Braille music sometimes today, mostly for transcribing solos and writing down my own musical ideas.
Hope this helps,

—Luther
Sent from my iPhone

> On Sep 15, 2024, at 8:34 PM, MaKenzie Love via NABS-L <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello everyone,
> I hope that everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far! I wanted to reach out because I am required to participate in a senior project for my AP Literature class, and I am thinking of possibly doing my topic on braille music. Before what I decide on however, I would love to hear from students who have learned braille music or who have always wanted to learn it but are unable to. For people who have learned braille music, how did you learn and where did you learn it from? Do you use it in your musical career or classes in high school or college? For people who have not learned braille music but would like to, what are some barriers that you have come across preventing you from picking up a score?
> 
> Thank you and I can't wait to hear back with some feedback.
> Sincerely,
> MaKenzie Love
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