New Hadley Course Gives a Voice to Braille Music

For music students and performers who are blind, learning to read braille music is essential. For those who are sighted and want to learn about transcribing print music into braille, teaching braille music or simply supporting someone who is interested in learning the braille music code, Hadley’s new large print course, “Braille Music Basics,” offers an introduction to the fundamentals of braille music.

The prerequisite for this five-lesson course is completion of Hadley's "Braille Music Diagnostic," which assesses the student’s ability to read print music at an elementary level, as well as visually read and produce uncontracted braille. Lessons 1 and 2 provide some of the basic braille music symbols used in braille music for any performance medium. Those lessons concentrate on music for single-melody instruments, like clarinet or violin. Lesson 3 explains braille music for voice with melodic and choral accompaniment. Lesson 4 presents braille music for keyboard instruments. Lesson 5 addresses some questions about teaching and transcribing braille music. The information in this introductory course does not enable students to professionally transcribe print music, teach music or teach braille. However, after completing the course, students can enthusiastically support and encourage a music student who is blind and learning to read music independently.

“Learning the basics of braille music is a great opportunity for music teachers working with students who are blind. Reading music should begin for a student who is blind just as it does for one who is sighted. Reading braille music can open many doors toward self-confidence and further independence. This course gives music teachers and parents enough understanding of braille music so they can gain their own self-confidence in encouraging and helping a braille reader begin reading music they want to play,” says instructor Linn Sorge.

Written by musician and braille music transcriber Ruth Rozen, this course is offered tuition-free for students in Hadley’s Family Education Program and tuition-free for a limited time for students in the Hadley School for Professional Studies. An online version of the course will be available later this year. The development of the course was partially funded by a generous grant from the American Printing House for the Blind in Louisville, Ky.

For more information or to enroll, please visit www.hadley.edu or contact Student Services at 800.526.9909 or student_services@hadley.edu.