(Reprint: Advice from Members - MENVI News 7, Winter 1999)


Advice From Members

Fattah Abdedouk is a blind classic guitarist at University of Arizona,
Phoenix. He teaches braille privately there, and has contributed this
wonderful piece for the MENVI Newsletter:
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"Having a good ear DOES NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR BEING
ABLE TO READ ACTUAL MUSIC. Reading music is almost
indispensable for various reasons: *To be capable of learning  music
without the influence of anyone's interpretation; *to be able to analyze themusic more correctly,
as some notes would be represented differently from
what they sound, depending on their harmonic function; to be able to trace
motifs and other compositional techniques. *Plus, one would have access
to the original copy of the piece, as some performers tend to alter notes for
technical reasons, or if the piece is old, changes happen simply due to
ignorance of the style. Etc. ..."

     Thank you, Fattah, for such a fine statement for the cause of
     music literacy! - MENVI

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(Reprint:  Articles from Our Members - MENVI News, Winter, 1999)

Andrew Meyer is a young blind trumpet player from Eugene Oregon.
His very helpful article, "USING 'ED-IT' AND THE BRAILLE LITE FOR
MUSIC BRAILLE," appeared in the Fall 1997 issue of our newsletter. He
wrote about his experience using the Braille Lite for his transcribed band
music at University of Oregon Summer Band Camp. 
Andrew has contributed the following article for blind band
performers. He describes his purpose in the article as, "...I figured out
that people did not understand how they could make playing in a band or
orchestra as meaningful as it could be."
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             TEN WAYS TO HELP A BLIND MUSICIAN
                         IN BAND/ORCHESTRA
                                 by Andrew Meyer
 
                                 STAND PARTNER
 1. Count off quietly at the beginning of a piece during  performances
or when necessary during rehearsals.
 
 2. Help the blind person find the beat in a difficult  piece. (Count
quietly, or tap your feet while touching the  blind person's feet.)
 
 3. Count quietly one to two measures prior to the  instruments coming
up into playing position. This enables the blind musician to come up
into playing position synchronized with the other musicians in his or
her section.
 
 4. Read a few notes or give a reference point to verify a place in the
music during rehearsal. Sometimes it is difficult to find your place if
you are reading braille music. An example would be, "Look for the mfafter 47," or,  "Look for
three quarter note C's."
 
 5. Remind the blind person to play open or muted if necessary. 
 Remember that the blind person is memorizing the music and does
not have the advantage of visual cues that other section members have.
 
 6. Cue the blind person to stand up or sit down when the conductor
signals the entire section, orchestra, or band. It is embarrassing when
everyone else stands up except you.
  
 7. Tell the blind musician the amount of rest (number of  measures)
after playing a particular section. It is easy to forget the number of
measures to rest when you are memorizing several pieces.
 
                                  CONDUCTOR
 8. Count off out loud at the beginning of a piece during rehearsal.
 
 9. Allow the blind musician extra time to find his or her place in the
music or to switch to another selection during rehearsal.

 10. Say out loud the measure number when other sections enter
during rehearsals. This enables the blind person to keep track of
where the band is currently playing.
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