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Blind and Visually Impaired Community

Full History - 2014 - 09 - 26 - ID#2hl4sb
5
any other low vision/blind musicians out there? (self.Blind)
submitted 8y ago by TXblindman
hello all, i'm a 21 year old college student with no vision in my left eye, and peters anomaly in my right. back in middle school i was insistent on learning an instrument, so i picked up a euphonium (baritone) and realized "hmm, this reading music thing might be hard." i originally started with large print music, which worked for 3 or 4 measure pieces, not so much for 100-200 measure songs. i now use a system originally developed (i believe) by a guitarist with macular degeneration named Tom Green. it's essentially a computer monitor bolted to a music stand, with cables running to a laptop (both Mac and PC work) the laptop displays my music using a program called finale. To advance the measures i use a foots with run by Xkeys. i'm curious to find others that may have used a similar system to read and perform music. This "system" (arbitrary name) has helped me earn the first chair slot in the All-state band in Alaska my sophomore year (08-09), and the third chair slot in the MENC 2011 All-Northwest music festival my senior year (10-11).
Gazerella 3 points
I have a student who is playing the flute in middle school band and is reading braille music.

The system sounds like it's working well for you!
TXblindman [OP] 1 points
it has, and that sounds wonderful that your student is doing well.
God-Macabre 2 points
I am currently learning the guitar however k am switching over the drums. I feel like if I ruin my finger tips through playing guitar, I'll find it harder learn braille as I am learning braille to prepare my vision loss as I have RP. I like drums anyway so I'm fine, plus I think I'll have a blast as I am a metalhead and I find that with even people I know, guitar is a popular choice amongst thrm.
TXblindman [OP] 2 points
that sounds awesome, i'm planning on learning guitar and drums as well. i actually enjoy the process of learning a new instrument, so i'll be learning tenor sax and bassoon as well pretty soon.
God-Macabre 1 points
Wow, nice!
johnnytai 1 points
Me and my partner we both mostly record and memorize, so totally skip the reading part :)
Gabby_Anania 1 points
I'm legally blind and I've been singing since quite I was quite young. I'm most comfortable when I'm singing, but I've been trying to learn guitar for the last few years. This involves a lot of stopping and having to put up my face really close to whatever technical device I have tabs/chords on and trying to play at the same time, which isn't optimal or comfortable. Trying to get better at just remembering the sequence and then playing, ya know?
TXblindman [OP] 1 points
i understand completely, when i play a concert, i'm not really reading my music, it's half and half keeping track of where i am and memorization. the All-northwest concert i mentioned above was played entirely from memory, as the stage at Benaroya(?) Hall in Seattle was too small with 250 students on it.
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