[Perform-Talk] Accommodation help

Tue Feb 17 20:37:33 UTC 2026

Whatever is most comfortable for teacher and student is perfect as far as breath work. Vowel work might be a little more difficult because it's often about the shape of the mouth, where you place your tongue, opening your throat, etc. I would say verbal descriptions first, and then doing with your own mouth what you believe the teacher is asking for and getting confirmation about whether it looks correct or not. If it does not look correct, more verbal description such as "move your tongue just a bit toward your top teeth" or "make your lips more into a circle shape." You may be able to feel someone's lips if they are comfortable with this, but I know I would not be comfortable letting anyone else feel my tongue or touching someone else's tongue. I think most people feel this way however, so I'm guessing the directions for everyone will be more verbal than you fear.
Melissa

-----Original Message-----
From: Perform-Talk <perform-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Kelsey Nicolay via Perform-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 7:24 AM
To: Performing Arts Division list <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Kelsey Nicolay <piano.girl0299 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Perform-Talk] Accommodation help

Hello,
the class will consist of a short lecture covering things like vocal health, registers, etc. Then there will be interactive group work on breath, vowels, etc. I'm one of those people that verbal description alone sometimes doesn't help, so if hands-on instruction is needed, is there a standard method for this? For breath, I've seen this demonstrated either by the teacher placing their hands on my body to show me where to expand or something similar to what my friend from choir did at our social where she guided my hand to where on her body she was breathing from, then placed her hand over top of mine. Is one method more correct than the other or can teacher and student choose what works best based on each other's comfort level? For vowels, what would be the best way to provide hands-on assistance should I need it? 
Sent from Kelsey Nicolay’s iPhone 

> On Feb 16, 2026, at 4:38 PM, Melissa Riccobono via Perform-Talk <perform-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> You have gotten some great advice. Since this is only a two hour class, I would definitely encourage you to take the plunge and give it a try! It's not two days, or two weeks. It is two hours, and I hope the person teaching will get back to you and put your fears to rest! I'm guessing if they are working on vowels and other things, there will be a lot of verbal instructions used, and a lot of trying to mimic sounds the teacher makes. An assistant might be all right. As far as having to pay someone, that all depends on who you are able to find to help you. If it's someone else taking the class, probably not. A child might be OK as long as he or she is old enough to understand what is going on, is good at describing things, and won't get bored before the class is over. I'm guessing any music being used would be pretty minimal since the class is only two hours. Perhaps seeing if you could get a recording of the music ahead of time could be helpful. Or even having someone transcribe the words would give you a starting point.
> I hope this is helpful, and that you have a wonderful time in the class!
> Melissa
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Perform-Talk <perform-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Kelsey Nicolay via Perform-Talk
> Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2026 5:15 PM
> To: Performing Arts Division list <perform-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Kelsey Nicolay <piano.girl0299 at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Perform-Talk] Accommodation help
> 
> Hello,
> i got invited to a free vocal masterclass by the choir I was formerly a part of. It is a group setting that is a 2 hour event on a single day. It will consist of a lecture followed by interactive group work on vowels, breathing techniques, etc. I have never done one of these before, so am not sure how it will be run. I reached out to the organizer to see what they could do to accommodate me, but I wanted to post on this group to ask a few questions. First, does the group have to provide an assistant or am I responsible for finding an assistant who can help me during class with anything that may not be clear from verbal instruction ′my family already told me they would drop me off, but will not stay since they are not taking the class and they have no background in music′. Second, if there are any pieces of music they will be using, since I do not have someone who can transcribe braille music or access to an embosser, what would be the best way to handle that if they ask? If I do have to find an assistant on my own, am I required to pay them and would a child be a suitable person for this task? I'm starting to wonder if it would even be worth doing the class since it's going to require a lot of accommodations for me to be able to participate effectively.
> Sent from Kelsey Nicolay’s iPhone
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