Category: Jam Session
Hey guys. So after a couple of years of bouncing around between potential degrees, I've finally settled in to start my next year as a music industry studies major. So now that I'll be taking a lot more music courses, I'd really appreciate any advice from anyone that has been in my situation. I'm totally blind and I can read Braille music. My school's disability resource center is absolutely amazing. They even have someone contracted to do Braillle music for smaller things like exams. That's the problem though. I took my first music class this past semester. It was an introductory theory class and I took it mostly as something fun to fill up my schedule. (Yes, call me weird, but I find theory fun.) Though they were able to provide me with Brailled exams, they weren't able to provide me with the full content of the course's textbook. I only got the text and not the music examples and worksheets from the book. This wasn't that much of a big deal since I already knew most of what was being taught, but I know this will be a problem once I get into the more advanced stuff that I'm not already familiar with. I'll very likely also be needing to write out music myself, so advice on how to handle this would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Have you used the Goodfeel products from Dancing Dots? I use Lime Allowed to write music using my laptop and then print it out in print for other music readers. I love it because it plays the notes also, so I can tell if I make a mistake because I have perfect pitch.
I know it is difficult to scan musical scores and examples into a Braille document. Someone will have to proofread the score once it is scanned to make sure there are no errors. However, if you can't find someone to help you obtain your Braille scores or assignments, you could always work with tutors. I had to before the disabilities office obtained the Dancing Dots programs.
Best of luck with the major! If you have any further questions or you'd just like to chat about music and other things, feel free to hit me up on Facebook or send me an email!
Alex
I'm also using Lime, to notate exersises. For larger-scale notation work, (compositions for multiple instruments,), I export the Lime file to Music XLM, which I then import into SIbelius for further editing. Sibeoius 5 is has gotten finecky with Jaws, so I use sighted friends for help for proofreading the notation before I hand in assignments. What Theory textbook are you using? Some books (such as Music in theory and practice), cite their examples. If examples are cited, e.g Bethoven's fifth, measures 1-5, you could youtube the piece and count in the measures. It's tedious but could work as a last resort. I too find theory fun, especially musical analysis. It's at the point when you know the material well enough to experiment and play with it that it gets interesting.
Deadnight, what school do you go to? I wish your disabilities office were as
good as my school's. Lol. I too am a music major, and I actually have been
learning by ear for years, I just finally am starting to understand braille music. I
have had tutors through most of college, and my teachers have been more than
accommodating. Just talk to your professor and explain your situation, I'm sure
they'll be more than willing to help out in whatever way they can. I use ABC,
which is a text based notation to do music, and it's free.
www.abcnotation.com
is the website. How much is lime allowed? I'm trying to get something decent as
my voc rehab counselor isn't the most helpful of people ever, so I'm getting my
resources myself.
A friend recommended ABC to me as a notation solution but it seems overly complicated to me, almost like programming. Lime aloud is about 1500 dollars USD. Dancing dots are very good with tech support/setup.