[Smt-talk] Music theory and the blind

[Paul Siskind]

Hi Mark (and List):  A few years ago, I had a blind student (a Music Ed major) in my Theory and Aural Skills I course.  To be prepared to work with her, I asked various people for resources about blind students/teachers working in music.  I'll paste below the various resources that I was referred to.  I found them helpful to understand techniques (and challenges) of working with a blind student in an overall sighted context.

Unfortunately, the student decided to leave music education during the first semester, so I can't report on what worked or didn't work.  I think she left for a number of reasons: partially out of frustration because she did not come to music school prepared with knowing how to read Braille music notation, and partially for her own personal reasons.

This lit might be a little outdated, but hopefully it'll still be helpful to your student (and to others looking for resources).  

Good luck.
...Paul

*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*


David Goldstein, Director
National Resource Center for Blind Musicians
Music and Arts center for Humanity
510 Barnum Avenue, Third Floor
Bridgeport, CT   06608
Phone 203 366-3300, extension 229
Fax 203 368-2847
info at blindmusicstuden.org
www.blindmusicstudent.org


Hi Sharon, I have attached a resource list for braille music (and other
alternative music instruction resources) for Heather to explore.  I also
recommend that she check out the American Foundation for the Blind's
Careers and Technology Information Bank (CareerConnect) at 
http://www.afb.org/careerconnect  to find a mentor or two, and that
she subscribe to the TeachVIB Listserv:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/teachvib , which is a listserv
for blind teachers, as well as checking out the following sites:

Associations of Blind Teachers:
http://www.blindteachers.org National Association of Blind Teachers
http://www.blind.net/bg340001.htm advice to blind student teachers
http://acb.org/acbjobs/index.html   
American Council of the Blind Job
Bank
Associations of Blind Teachers:
http://acb.org/resolutions/res2000.html#2000-45 for legislation
resolutions regarding ETS testing 
http://www.acb.org/accessible-formats.html accessible documents
guidelines
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Blind_Educator.asp?SnID=1759022407 Blind
Educator Newsletter
CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine:
http://www.eop.com/cd.html
CareerZone Transition Planning Site:
http://www.nycareerzone.org
Center for Career Freedom:
www.freecenter.org
http://www.cec.sped.org/pd/lcce.html Life Centered Career Education 
Training
DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology)
Program (people with disabilities successfully pursuing academics and
careers):
http://www.washington.edu/doit 
eSight Careers Network (resources for people with disabilities):
http://www.esightcareers.org
National Business and Disability Council Career Center:
http://www.nbdc.com
http://www.nbdc.com/Job_Seekers/job_seekers.asp Free Resume and Job
Seeker Services
New York Education Jobs Online Career Center for NYS Education 
Professionals:
http://www.teachny.com/








On Apr 8, 2013, at 12:28 PM, Mark Janello wrote:

> Dear all,
> 
> I am working with a blind student (a singer who is also in our Music Theory Pedagogy Master's Degree program) whose thesis collects ideas, techniques, and resources useful for music theory and the blind.  In addition to the expected focus on how sighted instructors teach blind students, interestingly (and this is a topic I have not seen addressed) she is interested in ideas for the blind theory instructor and how they would interact successfully with sighted students.
> 
> If any of you have taught blind students in the past (or know of any blind theory teachers and how they work) please share, either privately to me, or to the list if you think it is of general interest.  
> 
> I am reluctant to share a student's email address over a listserve, but if anyone would like to get in touch with her directly, which she would enjoy greatly, let me know.
> 
> Mark Janello
> Dept. of Theory
> Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Smt-talk mailing list
> Smt-talk at lists.societymusictheory.org
> http://lists.societymusictheory.org/listinfo.cgi/smt-talk-societymusictheory.org




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Dr. Paul A. Siskind 								Home:
Professor of Composition and Theory 				Sweet Child Music
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