[3] Links
[PDF] 3D Audio Interface for the Blind - this paper explains an attempt to create a Virtual Audio Reality (VAR) interface to convey more information than can be done with single-line Braille music. PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format.
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A Joyful Noise - Paper Music - "dedicated to providing music from any source to musicians of any disability". Many resources for blind musicians here. The web site owner, John Andrew English,is a member of MEMVI (Music Education Network for the Visually Impaired), and is that rare person, a transcriber of Braille music.
Academy of Music for the Blind - based California, with activities in other parts of North America.
Accessible Software for the Blind Musician - this article on Fred's Head Companion provides overviews of several major software packages.
Fred's Head Companion RSS Feed
Academy of Music for the Blind in Los Angeles.
Adaptive Gear - imaginative solutions for disabled musicians.
Amadou and Mariam: Mali's world music superstars - they met at the Institute for Young Blind in Bamako in 1977. Now they are married and make fine music together.
American Popular Piano Repertoire Braille Edition?Prima Vista Braille Music Services
An Introduction to Music for the Blind Student: A Course in Braille Music Reading from Dancing Dots.
At 15, city winner set to head music school for special children - Diwakar Sharma won the Indian TV talent show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs, and is now set to be principal at a school for other blind children in New Delhi.
Award turns blind Japan pianist into music sensation - Nobuyuki Tsujii is the first blind pianist to win the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
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Banjo Tab for Blind Players - some ideas here for showing banjo tablature on a Braille Display.
Baton debut for blind conductor - a chance meeting has propelled blind radio presenter Jill Daley into conducting an 80-piece orchestra
BBC In Touch programme (Radio 4) - item about Braille music was broadcast on 13th January, 2009. Until 20th January, this will be in the
Listen Again slot.
BBC NEWS | Technology | Blind inventor makes web accessible - the concept of SpeakOn, audio receiving software for visually impaired people. You can download the current package from
a-technic
Blackwell Synergy: Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol 54, Issue 5, pp. 553-562: Effect of music on power, pain, depression and disability (Abstract)
Blind composer strikes a chord - Turkish composer Koray Sazli faced failure, but has gone on to a doctorate and composing electronically with a software package, Braille Lite 40. He now hopes to improve technology for other disabled students.
Blind Musicians Twitter page
Blind Palestinian teacher, students find joy in music
Blind Radio - links to thousands of world-wide radio stations in accessible format.
Blind student 'hears in colour' - an attempt to convert graphics to sound helps a blind student to read weather maps.
BlindMusicians on Twitter - non-profit organisation based in New Yorkk.
Braille Music Code 1997
Braille Music Editor for the
Finale music editor.
Braille Music Page - introductory page covering the basics of how Braille music works, books, e-mail list, online course,
braillem mailing list - for discussion of Braille music. To join, end an e-mail to [email protected], putting this in the body of the message: subscribe braillem
Bringing Braille Music Back from the Brink by Wendy Richards and Lisette Wesseling - 2010 Conference� Round Table - the presenters describe what they have done to promote Braille music in New Zealand. The page includes an audio presentation.
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Cakewalk Sonar - sound and music creation and editing software.You may like to get information and support on one of the Yahoo! mailing lists.
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Yahoo! Cakewalk Sonar Group - "(un)official discussion group for Cakewalk Sonar (and related products), the audio recording/midi sequencer from Twelve Tone Systems (Creators of Cakewalk). Cakewalk discussion and related Cakewalk product discussion is also welcome. More information on Sonar is available on the web at http://www.cakewalk.com/"
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Yahoo! Sonar Users' Group - "for users of Cakewalk / Twelve Tone Systems' Sonar software application. Audio MIDI looping tips tricks techniques, and of course problem solving :-)"
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Yahoo! Directory of Cakewalk Groups
Coalition of Disabled Musicians Home Page
Curse Buster Sound - site for music marketing hosted by a blind saxophonist.
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Dancing Dots Music and Accessibility Products and Services - their software includes Cake Talking for Sonar and Sibelius Speaking for Sebelius. These products enable the musician to compose, arrange and print music.
Devoted to Teaching Music to the Blind - David Pinto founded and directs the Academy of Music for the Blind (AMB) - the only academy of music in America devoted specifically to teaching music to the blind.
Disability in Popular Song - personal experiences.
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E-Scape - music composition and performance software developed by the Drake Music Project for those who cannot use other means to create music. Works with keyboard, MIDICreator, Soundbeam and MIDI files.
Evoca - Easily create, organize, share and search voice recordings.
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Freelists mailing lists
FreeDots -- MusicXML to Braille Music translation - free software to enable blind users to translate musical notation into Braille music.
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Guitar And Drum Trainer - teaches you music by letting you edit mp3 and wav files as they play (never mind what instruments are actually playing). There are
JAWS Scripts for this program.
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Ian Dury - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - story of the man who brought you "Sex and Drugs and Rock'n'Roll" and "Spasticus".
iZotope Expands Support to Accessibility Software Music Technology Leader's Products Will Now Support Screen Reader Software - iZotope, Inc - Audio Processing Technology
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JSonar Project JAWS scripts for
Cakewalk Sonar. The site includes FAQ page, downloads for the scripts, tutorial, links and a blog.
RSS Feed
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Last.fm - pick the type of music you enjoy and c reate your own radio station. You can install client software on your PC, but please be aware it's hard to see and even harder to use with a screen reader. You may have more luck using the services on the web site.
Lime Aloud from Dancing Dots - "A Whole New Way for the Blind to Read and Write Music". Enables you to create print music scores. It brings together Lime, a notation program, and access technology. SharpEye Music OCR is included, and the package works with the JAWS screen reader. Can handle MusicXML files. Works with PCs and MIDI-enabled musical keyboards.
Louis Database of Accessible Materials: American Printing House - meterials include Braille music, including scores, reference books and recorded tuition.
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Making Braille music universally accessible - ICT Results -
Contrapunctus system intends to make music easier to transcribe into Braille.
MENVI (Music Education Network for the Visually Impaired) - run by blind musicians for blind musicians, membership includes students, teachers and parents.. Membership is free, but you may be asked to make contributions.
Miami Lighthouse helps blind succeed - Miami health | Examiner.com - the article focuses mainly on the learning available to music students.
MIDI-Mag Mailing list - for blind musicians to discuss adaptive access to computer-based music making technologies.
To join send a message containing MIDI-MAG - To subscribe, send the message SUBSCRIBE MIDI-MAG (Your First & Last Name) to [email protected].
MIDI-Creator turns movement into music by means of electronic sensors.
MIDIGrid a program that allows for the flexible composition and performance of music.
Music Access - for visually impaired musicians, audio engineers and producers and their allies. Included on the site is a download of the Sibelius Access Package, which gives screen reader access to Sibelius Speaking music notation program.
Music books and braille transcription - RNIB page that points to many accessible music resources.
Music Education Network For The Visually Impaired - An International Coalition of Parents, Educators, and Students.
Music for the Blind by Bill Brown - over 600 songs taught in an All-Audio format for over a dozen instruments. On tape, CD or via downloads. Learn and play 'by ear' - no notation or Braille required.
Music literacy and technology leading to varied career options for individuals with visual impairment - a presentation from the 2006 CSUN Conference.
Music Technology and Blind Engineers: A Report on the Accessibility of Digital Audio Production Systems (published June 2002, Opening Stages)
Musicians in Focus can carry out music technology assessments and offer support for visually impaired musicans, their teachers and others needing information in this field. They publish educational books and act as an information exchange. As the web site has been forbidding entry recently (December, 2007), here are som eother contact details.
Address: 1 Poets Corner
London N5 2SL
Tel: 020 7354 2050
Fax: 020 7359 7535
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site? sorry, not sure at the moment.
Musical Instruments For The Blind - Fred's Head - some initial ideas about what to choose.
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National Resource Center for Blind Musicians - based in Connecticut, but wherever you are, you may find useful information and contacts here.
NLS/BPH: NLS Music Services - many resources from the USA National Library Service.
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Opus Technologies - Music Braille Product Guide
Orpheus - United Kingdom
An inclusive performing arts centre; we aim to provide opportunities for personal development through the performing arts and other learning experiences for young disabled adults with a physical impairment; so that they can make informed choices about the future and gain the skills to live more independently in the community.
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Prima Vista Braille Music Services | Introduction - Braille sheet music that can be downloaded to a computer or sent, embossed, by post. Wide repertoire, and you can search the site either by the sound of a piece or by text (title, etc). Featured in the BBC
In Touch Programme, December 7th 2010.
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Recueil de morceaux d'orgue, a book of organ pieces produced in Paris in `1863, is in the process of being transcribed into Eglish and printed music at the American Printing House for the Blind. This will be the book's first mainstream publication, as far as anyone knows.
Resources for Helping Blind Music Students - caution: this article may be authoritative, but it does date back to 1998.
Richard Attenborough Centre for Disability and the Arts - part of the University of Leicester, UK, the centre's focus is people with disabilities and other members of the public who have previously found access to arts education difficult. As I live in the area, I have searched in vain for any music making and notice a very heavy bias to visual arts. This could all change with the next programme, of course.
RNIB National Library Service includes Braille music. (was National Library for the Blind, UK).
RNIB Music - leads to information for listeners and musicians.
Robert Inventor announces an update of Bounce Metronome Pro 4.1 - BFM DIGITAL NEWSWIRE - this accessible program can reproduce complex polyrhythms, not just go tick-tock!
Rockbox - an open source replacement for the firmware in a growing range of MP3 players. It may be simpler to operate your player once Rockbox is installed. It is claimed that Rockbox makes your player more customisable and it may even sound better! You may find the Rockbox Community Forum useful.
Royal National College for the Blind, Hereford, UK, offers a 2-year BTEC Certificate in Music Technology.
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Sibelius music notation writing, reading and printing software. Many add-ons. See also
Music Access for an accessibility tool.
Simply Music, a new method for learning - developed in Australia originally to help a blind child learn to play the piano. No need to learn to read music first.
sonification.de - sonification and auditory display
Sound and Music, formerly the Sonic ~Arts Network. Extensive resources for sound artists and musicians.
Soundbeam "The Invisible Expanding Keyboard In Space". It uses electronic sensors to turn body movements into sound and images. Company based in Bristol, UK.
Soundlinks - UK company that supplies, and trains people in, speech and music technology. Packages include IBM Home Page Reader, the Sonar Sequencer and Soundforge audio editor. Based in Chesham, Bucks.
Speaking the Universal Language of Music - Lighthouse International - music was the inspiration for Lighthouse. Read what is going on now.
Stop making sense [Vines singer diagnosed with Aspergers]
Support Us � Justice Music Project
Sweet Relief - USA charity. " Sweet Relief provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. "
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The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust : grants to charitable organisations. Charitable grants awarded for community, disability, religion, children, youth, elderly, music, arts.
The Dilbert Blog: Good News Day
The Drake Music Project - aims to enable disabled people to discover their musical abilities. Workshops and training in most regions of England. They have also stimulated the development of assistive technologies for music.
The Drake Music Project Scotland
The Joy of Music - you don't have to see to have a music career. From Fred's Head Companion.
The Sound of Learning: Albano Berberi - The Sound of Learning: Albano Berberi. Thanks to a member of del.icio.us for posting this to me.
The vOICe Learning Edition - Synthetic Vision Software for the Blind
Tiresias Music Page - details some resources available to blind musicians, but is not being kept up-to-date.
Toccata - Braille music transcription software by Pentronics, Australia. Can work from a scan or notation that you edit.
Tools for the Blind Music Professional, Student and Hobbyist: A Review of Technologies that Work! - an exploration of some of the solutions offered by Dancing Dots and others. Paper from Center On Disabilities Technology And Persons With Disabilities Conference 2001.
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Useful equipment - music in the home - RNIB, UK
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Valdosta Music and Publishing: Audio Music Tuition - available on tape, CD and MP3. Play the instrument you want by ear. Free mini-lesson on the web site.
Very Special Arts (VSA) - An international nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the creative power in people with disabilities.
Visual Impairment, Blindness - Center for Music Learning - useful background information and links.
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Weasel: Access to Music Notation for Blind People, an audio-tactile approach.
Who's Afraid of Braille Music - handbook for teachers, parents and students.
Wikipedia article on blind musicians - explains the phenomenon of the blind musician, with examples from around the world.
Wired 13.11: My Bionic Quest for Bol�ro
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Yahoo Groups
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blind-musicians - a Yahoo Group for aspiring and existing musicians who are blind or visually impaired.
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blind_musicians - Yahoo group. "music and how it relates to the blind".
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CREATIVE-AND-BLIND Yahoo group for blind people who like crafts, music and anything else creative.
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midi-group Yahoo group for blind musicians wanting to learn about using MIDI devices wih PCs, especially using Cakewalk.
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PC-musician - weekly industry news
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Soundforge Users Yahoo Group
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the-artsy-blind - Yahoo roup for blind people into the arts, including opera and classical music.
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