Learning

Braille music - music technology factfile

Summary: GOODFEEL, a software package, can be used to make braille music from printed music or some digital music formats.

• GOODFEEL - producing braille music
• Example one: flute teacher
• Example two: transcribing GCSE resources
• Example three: blind teacher
• System requirements
• Further information

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Our music technology factfiles look at an area of music technology and how it can help blind and partially sighted people to make music.

GOODFEEL - producing braille music

GOODFEEL is a software package which converts digital music files into printable braille music.

An American package, GOODFEEL turns MIDI, MusicXML or Notation Interchange File Format (NIFF) files into braille using Lime notation editor software. You can also use GOODFEEL to create Lime files from scanning music, playing in music using a MIDI Keyboard or using QWERTY input.

The package consists of SharpEye to scan music, Lime for note entry and editing, Lime Aloud scripts for JAWS and GOODFEEL to transcribe and emboss Braille music. GOODFEEL offers a set of customizable transcription options based on UK preferences for Braille music format.

Example one: flute teacher

A flute teacher has a blind pupil wanting to learn a piece. The teacher has a print copy but no knowledge of Braille music.

The flute teacher opens Lime and enters the notes, then adds dynamics, phrasing and other details, including a clear title and part label. As each note is entered, the Braille equivalent appears highlighted in red in another window. Accidentally, the teacher is learning Braille music!

This file is saved and then GOODFEEL is launched. Any errors that GOODFEEL lists are dealt with back in Lime and then the teacher can look at and print off a print version of the Braille, to use in the lesson with her pupil. She can also save the file and email it to her pupil for him to emboss and bring in hardcopy to the lesson. He can also hear the file and have a soft Braille display of the score.

Example two: transcribing GCSE resources

A pupil in a mainstream school is taking GCSE music and there is a worksheet with some short musical extracts. The resource base is asked to provide Braille for this.

The resource base staff scan the musical examples using SharpEye (which is a part of the GOODFEEL package). This is carefully edited to match the original print. Meanwhile, the text is prepared in Duxbury.

The musical examples are imported into Lime, where again the Braille version is also displayed. Any small editing required is done at this stage. References to the Lime files are then inserted into the Duxbury print document at the appropriate places, where they appear as Braille music. (Note, you need GOODFEEL installed on the same machine as the Duxbury for this to work.)

The pupil using the Braille has the work sheet as the equivalent of the print original. The class music teacher can have a print copy of the Braille to aid communication; indeed the whole class could see a version of the Braille and stave notation via the interactive whiteboard, and follow along as the Braillist describes or sings the music.

Example three: blind teacher

A singing teacher who is blind wants to produce some written musical exercises in both stave notation and Braille music. The teacher knows how these sound already. Using Lime Aloud, he plays in the notes on a musical keyboard and has speech output and musical sound to check the accuracy. Lyrics can be typed in by tabbing from note to note. The scores can then be printed from Lime and embossed from GOODFEEL.

System requirements

• IBM PC-compatible computer
• 128MB RAM
• Windows 95, 98, Millennium, NT, 2000, XP and Windows Vista
• JAWS For Windows 7.1 or higher (If speech is required).

Optional Items

• MIDI keyboard
• Soft/refreshable braille display
• Embosser
• Document scanner.

Further information

GOODFEEL is distributed in the UK by Techno-Vision Systems.

For further information, please visit Dancing Dots and follow the “GOODFEEL” link.

Dancing Dots
1754 Quarry Lane
P.O. Box 927
Valley Forge, PA 19482-0927
USA
Voice: +1 610 783 6692
Fax: +1 610 783 6732

Email: info@dancingdots.com

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Content author: mas@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 20/11/2008 11:13