Services for Musicians with Special Needs
Services for Musicians with Special Needs resulted from the merging and expansion of two former SAI Philanthropies projects which served blind and low-vision musicians: the Braille and Tape Services Project, and the Bold Notes Project. Currently, this project serves visually impaired musicians within and outside of the fraternity by providing information about available resources for blind and low-vision musicians. Parents, teachers, and students may contact the project director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., for information or see below for SAI's list of organizations, publishers, and other resources for brailled, taped, and large print music and other needed materials and services. Additionally, selected fraternity materials are available in alternate format for use by SAI musicians with special needs. There is also a scholarship that is awarded every year to a member enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in music with a qualifying disability or to someone pursuing studies to become a teacher or therapist in this field.
The Bold Notes Project is a special interest area of the Services for Musicians with Special Needs which evolved from the Services for the Visually Impaired.
Opportunities for Chapter or Individual Participation
An exciting development is the opportunity to produce computerized large-print scores for the large-print collection of the Library of Congress. We shall be using computer software (such as Finale, Sibelius, and Notation), to create new large-print scores for their collection. The process of Bold Notes production will be infinitely easier and faster and we need your help to achieve it! Contact the Bold Notes project director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., for details on how to get involved as an individual or a chapter! Further, chapters often carry out special projects which raise money to support Services for Musicians with Special Needs.
Alternate Format Fraternity Materials Offered
Pan Pipes is available in large print to any college member, lifetime subscriber, or current member of the national SAI Alumnae Association, who has a visual or reading impairment. For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The Master Copy of our ritual ceremonies and accompanying music in Braille and large print is available for use by any visually impaired member holding a chapter office. Anyone needing these ritual materials in Braille should contact the National Vice President, Ritual and Fraternity Education, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Members of Beta Chapter at Northwestern University have compiled an audio cassette recording of many of the songs in our song book, which is available for loan to interested members who have a visual or reading impairment. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The 2003 edition of SONGS OF SIGMA ALPHA IOTA is available in a four-volume braille transcription which includes all words and music. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For Future Consideration
Provide additional fraternity materials in alternate formats, including Braille, large print, and CD, to members who have diminished visual acuity.
Services for Musicians with Special Needs Project Director
For further information, contact Terry-Ann M. Saurmann, Project Director.
Bold Notes Project
Large-Print Music: A Guide to its Production is offered by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. It includes a template for chapters to follow when packaging music in this format. For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Project Director.
Resources for Musicians with Special Needs
The following list, though not complete, includes major producers of musical materials and sources of pertinent information.
American Printing House for the Blind
Dancing Dots- Dancing Dots has developed the Goodfeel software, which converts scanned ink-print musical scores into braille. Dancing Dots also sells software which enables blind musicians to produce ink-print scores of their own compositions.
Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic)
MoneyGeek Guide to Get Scholarships and Grants for Students With Disabilities: Opportunities are listed in special need categories
Music Education Network for the Blind and Print Disabled
Music Section, Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped: The Music Section includes an extensive collection of braille and large-print music scores and books about music. Also available are instructional recordings on cassette tape and compact disk. Many of the braille books and scores have been computerized so that they can be downloaded in "web braille" format.
National Braille Association
National Braille Press
National Resource Center for Blind Musicians
Opus Technologies: Opus Technologies sells instructional materials in braille, ink-print, and computerized formats. Other products include popular music in braille and a computer program for converting ink- print scores into braille.
If you need earplugs or other specialized protective devices to safeguard your hearing during musical performance, please consult a knowledgeable specialist such as an audiologist or a sound engineer. A Google search will take you to a multitude of pertinent web sites. One of the recommended brands is Peltor, a Swedish company with American distributors.