Devices

Music

Music has been an important part of education of blind students, because of the established careers in performing, teaching and piano tuning.

Dancing Dots
1754 Quarry Lane, PO Box 927, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania 19482-0927, USA.
Tel: +1 610 783 6692
Fax: +1 610 783 6732
Email: info@dancingdots.com
Web: www.dancingdots.com

An Introduction to Music for the Blind Student: A Course in Braille Music Reading, Part 1 by Richard Taesch
Taesch's course equips the mainstream educator with no prior experience with braille to teach and learn music braille. Part 1 covers rudiments through intermediate melodic interpretation and key signatures. The course is intended to teach the essentials of music reading regardless of the student's chosen instrument. The author is a life-long music educator and guitarist who is certified by the Library of Congress as a braille music transcriber.
Price: $249.00 Set of 3 print and 4 braille volumes
$166.00 Set of 3 print volumes
$124.00 Set of 4 braille volumes
Last updated: 25/05/2006

An Introduction to Music for the Blind Student: A Course in Braille Music Reading, Part II
by Richard Taesch
Part II builds on the braille music reading skills developed in the first four phases of the course presented in Taesch's Part I. Part II contains: PHASE FIVE-A The Circle of Keys; PHASE FIVE-B Flat Key Signatures; PHASE FIVE-C Reading in New Keys; PHASE SIX-A Adventures in Music Reading; PHASE SIX-B Simple and Compound Time; PHASE SIX-C Advanced Reading and Modulating Keys. In two appendices, Taesch includes a detailed set of "Theory Examinations" and a handy "Index of Braille Signs." A standard subject index is also included.
Price: $179.00 Set of 2 print and 4 braille volumes
$109.00 Set of 2 print volumes
$89.00 Set of 4 braille volumes
Last updated: 25/05/2006

An Introduction to Piano for the Blind Student: A Course in Braille Music Reading, Book 1
by Richard Taesch
A piano companion course and supplement for "An Introduction To Music For The Blind Student," Part 1. This series is designed specifically for the piano student who has been exposed to the Part 1 course, or who has fundamental knowledge of the braille music code in general. The exercises and graded repertoire have been carefully written and compiled so as to help the student progressively overcome typical problems in reading "bar-over-bar" braille music formats". Duets and performance repertoire are presented to make the process fun, musical and educational.
Price: $99.00 Set of 2 print and 2 braille volumes
$59.00 Set of 2 print volumes
$49.00 Set of 2 braille volumes
Last updated: 25/06/2006

An Introduction to Piano for the Blind Student: A Course in Braille Music Reading, Book 2
by Richard Taesch
A piano companion course and supplement for "An Introduction To Piano For The Blind Student, Book 1".
Price: $64.00 Set of 2 print and 2 braille volumes
$35.00 Set of 2 print volumes
$29.00 Set of 2 braille volumes
Last updated: 25/06/2006

CakeTalking for SONAR 4
Cakewalk SONAR converts the user's PC into a multi-track recording studio. Blind musicians can independently create sound recordings or printed scores of their work. Optionally braille notation with GOODFEEL. CakeTalking makes SONAR talk for the JAWS user. Consists of two components: a set of scripts to customize how the JAWS for Windows screen reader interacts with Cakewalk SONAR and a separate tutorial document which contains step-by-step instructions on creating digital audio and MIDI. Intuitive key commands and extensive amount of online help.
Price: $289.00 CakeTalking for SONAR (scripts and tutorial)
$588.00 Cakewalk SONAR 4 Studio Edition
$788.00 Cakewalk SONAR 4 Producer Edition
Last updated: 25/05/2006

GOODFEEL 3 (Standard)
GOODFEEL automatically converts several kinds of music files to Braille. The user can Braille a single part, selected parts or an entire score. GOODFEEL 3 features integrated literary Braille translation for most western languages so the user can Braille both the words and the tune. GOODFEEL can now be configured to conform closely to the formatting conventions used for Braille music production in the UK. Price includes SharpEye music scanning software and Lime notation editor. Compatible with Windows 95, 98, ME, XP, 2000 and NT.
Price: $995.00
Last updated: 25/05/2006

GOODFEEL 3 (Lite)
GOODFEEL Lite provides all the features of the full version of GOODFEEL but limits the user to just one of these formats: instrumental music; vocal parts; keyboard or full score. Price includes SharpEye music scanning software and Lime notation editor. Compatible with Windows 95, 98, ME, XP, 2000 and NT.
Price: $595.00
Last updated: 25/05/2006

Lime Aloud
JAWS-based access method to notation for musicians who do not yet read braille music. Supplied with two mainstream software titles: the Lime notation editor and the SharpEye Music Reader for music OCR. Compatible with JAWS for Windows Standard or Professional, version 5.10 or later.
Price: $495.00
Last updated: 25/05/2006

Sibelius Speaking 3
Sibelius Speaking delivers the power and flexibility of the notation program, Sibelius, to the blind user. Sibelius Speaking combines a set of sophisticated scripts for the JAWS for Windows screen reader with tutorial documents and online help. That means that blind composers or arrangers can now independently transfer their creative musical ideas directly from their mind's ear to the printed page. Sibelius Speaking frees the blind composer to create music for all kinds of traditional or not-so-traditional ensembles. User can print their music for any sighted person to read in the medium they recognize: conventional, staff notation. Compatible with Windows 98. ME, 2000 and XP.
Price: $289.00 Sibelius Speaking (scripts and tutorial)
$319.00 Sibelius Academic Edition
$599.00 Sibelius Professional Edition
Last updated: 25/06/2006

Who's Afraid of Braille Music By Richard Taesch and William McCann
A short introduction and resource handbook for parents and students. The purpose of this book is to dispel ill-conceived notions that have discouraged students from learning to read braille music, or have caused teachers to think music reading is only for their sighted students.
Price: $10.00 print or braille edition
Last updated: 25/06/2006

KeySounds
Connecticut, United States of America.
Tel: +1 203 735 1288
Email: sales@keysounds.com
Web: www.keysounds.com

Kurzweil Display Reader
Computer program that makes Kurzweil K2000, K2500, and K2600 series synthesizers accessible for the blind. System requirements: A computer running Windows 9X, ME, NT/2000 or XP, MIDI card and screen access software. Available in an electronic version or on CDRom.
Price: $70 (electronic version); $80 (CDRom version)
Last updated: 07/06/2006

Micro Marvellous
8 Ovens Street, Box Hill North, Victoria 3129, Australia.
Tel: +61 3 9890 9383
Fax: +61 3 9897 1768
Email: gaethjo@micromarvellous.com.au
Web: www.micromarvellous.com.au

Music Marvellous
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A speaking attachment for a Yamaha E303 synthesiser that teaches music theory and practice (20 tunes in this first series).
Price: A$330.00
Last updated: 05/05/2006

RNIB
105 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NE, UK.
UK Customer Services Tel: 0845 702 3153
UK Customer Services Email: cservices@rnib.org.uk
Overseas Customer Services Tel: +44 1733 37 5400
Overseas Customer Services Email: exports@rnib.org.uk
Online Shop: www.rnib.org.uk/shop

NB: Some of the RNIB products have two prices where they have been specifically designed or adapted for disabled people. The lower price excludes VAT and applies to blind and partially sighted people resident in the UK and exempt from paying VAT and to UK charities buying on their behalf. Where one price is displayed this applies to all customers and includes VAT of 17.5%.

There is a separate catalogue available for overseas customers. If you have any enquiries, please contact RNIB Exports Department on +44 1733 37 54 00.

Braille Music Teaching, Wilson Premus
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A teaching aid designed to introduce concepts of the braille music system. Helps beginners by familiarising them with shapes representing basic notation. Also provides a means by which non-braille users can write and retain music. This system substitutes tactile shapes for the top four dots of the six dot cell. 144 white plastic cubes, the upper and lower surfaces of which feature a tactile symbol. Cubes contain a small metal weight and a magnet is included to aid manipulation of cubes. Tactile key to symbols is contained in the box and the kit also includes a black board with a matrix of 20 x 15 cells.
Weight: 1.106kg
Ref: LC66
Price: £40.79; £47.93
Last updated: 31/05/2006