It's a bit late and you may have already gotten plenty advice since your post, but I still want to chime in.

I've been playing piano since I was smaller, never had any learning issues but I was definitely a troubled child with a lot of mental/emotional chaos going on. Piano was my way to cope, calm down, focus on one thing and feel like I was at peace for as long as it lasted.

The thing is, due to my enjoyment in playing piano I never cared much for sheet music. As a result I can't read sheet music at all, I can read the C note that's in the middle of the piano on a normal piece of sheet music where it's in the line below the block of lines, but that's it. If music starts in a different key I get stuck and any other time I have to count out which note is which one by one.

I also had a teacher who basically told me that I had to start learning how to read sheet music or that I'd probably have to stop, because it's 'impossible' to memorize entire pieces and it'd be hard to learn how to play a certain piece without reading the intent on paper.

I said screw that and kept going. As a result there are a number of classical pieces that I have memorized and can play perfectly without reading sheet music. Some of these I play by ear so well that I can tell when my parents' piano needs to be tuned, but that may partially be perfect pitch hearing.

As hard as it may be to power through and play piano without reading sheet music, it absolutely is doable. Don't give up one something amazing. I currently can't play because the electrical piano I have feels and sounds completely wrong, and it hurts me to think about every single day. As long as you have the ability to keep practicing, don't give up.

Listen to music, feel the music, learn how to separate the way someone plays from what they're actually playing and you'll eventually be able to listen to a song a couple times and just play it.

Anyone can learn this, especially someone who doesn't have the downside of also seeing what they're doing. The only time I mess up is when I look at my fingers.

Don't give up. Don't listen to that teacher.

It seems like it would be incredibly difficult to become blind later in life as opposed to early. I have many blind coworkers and the ones who have been blind their whole lives are incredibly fluent in braille while the ones who lost their vision later on are still learning and adapting. It's definitely a problem without an easy solution. I would say though not to give up on music, it will be worth the effort you put into it. Good luck my friend!

Have you tried $1 It is a code editor designed specifically for blind coders by a blind coder.

To be perfectly honest I don't know much about coding. Have you tried to use programs like JAWS, MAGIC (I heard they may phasing MAGIC out) or Zoomtext? I'm not sure how they'd interact with coding but they're worth investigating. Also check this guy out.

https://youtu.be/iWXebEeGwn0

I'm not saying it's not possible, but I'm single so a majority if these options are rather difficult or very dangerous to do by myself, especially while I'm trying to adapt... Long term goal and/or something to try with a friend or loved one sure.

But like I said, I have Aspergers and ADHD, which are two things that do not mix well, I despise sitting still and having nothing to do, which is why I'm more concerned about my hobbies than I am going blind. If I lack an activity to occupy me, I go stir crazy within 10-15 minutes.

Otherwise good advice about reaching out, I'll try that.

Reading may be difficult for me right away and, comparing my reading habits to audiobook narrators, they are way too slow to keep my interest.