Insights in Sound: Visually Impaired Musicians' Lives and Learning (Music and Change: Ecological Perspectives)

Music has long been a way in which visually impaired people could gain financial independence, excel at a highly-valued skill, or simply enjoy musical participation. Existing literature on visual impairment and music includes perspectives from the social history of music, ethnomusicology, child development and areas of music psychology, music therapy, special educational needs, and music education, as well as more popular biographical texts on famous musicians. But there has been relatively little sociological research bringing together the views and experiences of visually impaired musicians themselves across the life course. __Insights in Sound: Visually Impaired Musicians’ Lives and Learning__ aims to increase knowledge and understanding both within and beyond this multifaceted group. Through an international survey combined with life-history interviews, a vivid picture is drawn of how visually impaired musicians approach and conceive their musical activities, with detailed illustrations of the particular opportunities and challenges faced by a variety of individuals. Baker and Green look beyond affiliation with particular musical styles, genres, instruments or practices. All 'levels' are included: from adult beginners to those who have returned to music-making after a gap; and from 'regular' amateur and professional musicians, to some who are extraordinarily 'elite' or 'successful'. Themes surrounding education, training, and informal learning; notation and ear playing; digital technologies; and issues around disability, identity, opportunity, marginality, discrimination, despair, fulfilment, and joy surfaced, as the authors set out to discover, analyse, and share insights into the worlds of these musicians. Cover 1 Half Title 4 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Table of Contents 8 List of illustrations 12 Acknowledgements 13 Note on the text 16 1. Background, aims, and context 18 Studies of visual impairment and musical participation 19 The aims of the book 24 What do we mean by “visually impaired”, and what kinds of visual impairment among musicians are included in our study? 25 The terms “impairment”, “disability”, “handicap”, and the deficit model 28 What do we mean by “musician”, and what kinds of musician are included in our study? 29 How we came to this research 30 Research methods, participant sample, and communicating with our participants 34 Methods and sample 34 Communicating with our participants: digital technologies, Braille, and the telephone 35 Limitations 36 Overview of the book 38 Reflections 40 2. Musical starting points and reasons for involvement 42 Beginnings: visual impairment’s role in taking up music 42 Parental interest and family background in music 45 Apparently exceptional innate abilities in early childhood, and their encouragement 48 Influential figures outside the family 49 The role of the school in initiating musical interest and involvement 50 Original and current reasons for participation 53 Mood regulation, escapism, and “therapy” 54 Purpose in life 57 Social belonging 58 Reflections 59 3. Learning at school 60 Educational provision for visually impaired children: some historical background and current trends 60 Mainstream education versus special education 64 Isolation in the mainstream 67 Isolation in special education 69 Alleviating isolation in special education 70 Social and musical opportunities in the mainstream school 71 Who is responsible? 72 Reflections 75 4. Teachers’ knowledge and skills; students’ confidence and autonomy 78 Teachers’ skills and understanding: some critical perspectives of students 79 Specialist knowledge and special needs 80 Time, its demands, and its challenges 83 Differentiation and flexibility 84 Instrument choice 86 Students’ confidence and autonomy 89 Reflections 91 5. Light, gesture, language, and touch in music teaching and learning 93 Light and its implications for teaching practices and contexts 93 Physical gesture and its relationship with music-making, learning, and teaching 96 Language and its uses or misuses in musical communication and pedagogy 101 Touch and its complex place in music teaching and learning 104 Reflections 108 6. Learning and participation beyond the school 110 Informal learning at school age 113 A disparity between the formal curriculum and externally developed skills 113 Self-organized ensembles at school age 114 Group participation, instrumental and vocal lessons beyond the school 116 The need for relative independent mobility in order to access lessons or to participate with others 117 Higher education 120 Taking part in orchestras, choirs, and other groups 122 Conducted groups 122 Smaller groups: chamber music and jazz or popular styles 126 Stagecraft 127 Networks 128 Why network? Self-promotion, acquiring information, and belonging 130 Networking difficulties 132 Reflections 134 7. Visual, tactile, and aural media: stave notation, Braille music, and the ear 136 Visually mediated scores: modified, enlarged, and magnified scores 137 Aurally mediated talking scores 140 Tactile scores: Braille music 140 Other tactile notation 145 The issue of sight-reading or learning notes from a score 146 Ear playing 150 Strategies for teaching ear playing to visually impaired learners 154 Reflections 156 8. Being a “musician” or being a “disabled musician” 159 The Inner Vision Orchestra 160 The Paraorchestra 163 Disability music and its rationale 164 Visual impairment as a marketing strategy 165 Mixed and dissenting voices 167 Reflections 172 9. Digital music technologies: the changing landscape 175 The advance of electronic music: three stories 177 Kevin’s story 177 Peter’s story 179 Joe’s story 181 Changing the musical landscape through digital technologies 183 Technology and Braille music 185 OMR in score production 186 Reflections 189 10. Digital music technologies, access, and the music industry 191 Access to training 191 Cost 193 The industry: playing “cat and mouse” with software 195 Creating plug-ins for notation, music production, and recording programs 196 Inaccessibility, recording, and music production careers 197 From digital files to alternative score formats 200 Copyright issues 202 Sighted help with operating hardware and software 204 Reflections 206 11. Aspirations and the search for fulfilment as a musician 209 Diversification and continuing development in the search for fulfilment 210 Becoming a full-time musician, professionalization, and securing one’s future 212 Reflections 215 Appendix 1: Glossary of eye conditions and terms used in the medical profession 217 Appendix 2: Other technical and non-technical terms 223 Appendix 3: Research methods and demographics of the research sample 226 Appendix 4: Literary Braille, digital assistive technologies, and communication 242 Appendix 5: Respondents from whom we cited interview text or accounts provided through e-mail exchanges 247 References 253 Index 278