Noisemakers to Music Makers: Developing a School Band for Students who are Visually Impaired

Abstract

A school band is a symbol of pride and spirit for the school community and represents an outlet for expression and creativity for the student who is visually impaired. It also benefits the student in developing skills of coordination involving the hands, body, and mind, and encourages respect for fellow performers and teamwork. The first day of classes will be noisy and chaotic, but over time the student will mature and become a musician. PREPARING FOR THEPROGRAM A teacher of students with visual impairments will face many of the same challenges that any teacher would face when initiating a school band program. These challenges include raising awareness about the genesis of the program among students, parents, and staff members; finding an appropriate classroom facility that is large enough to accommodate the students safely, provide storage for their instruments, and is sound-proofed to minimize any noise pollution that could result when students are playing their instruments; amassing an inventory of instruments, equipment, and materials to supply a full band; and ensuring that all students who are interested in participating in the band are able to fit the band into their academic schedules. The book Teaching Instrumental Music offers more information about the considerations of creating a school band (Jagow, 2007). Similarly, when devising a method of lifelong music instruction for students with visual impairments, a teacher needs to take into consideration many of the same techniques and approaches that are used by band teachers in a traditional school setting. Important factors in any music program include creating equal opportunities for learning for students at all levels of music comprehension with, for example, beginning band or primer classes in which all students learn to play the recorder; allowing students to participate in the instrumentselection process; choosing appropriate method books and sheet music; and teaching students to assemble and play their instruments and develop concepts of rhythm and pitch and expression. The goals of instruction should always be reasonable so that all students can succeed, but instructors should always seek excellence from their students so that they have respect for what they are learning. What is important for the student who is visually impaired is to develop the braille music-reading and learning skills that are necessary for advanced instruction in band instruments. (See Schleuter, 1997, to read more about general music instruction.) INSTRUMENT-SELECTION PROCESS When selecting instruments for the band, the teacher needs to give each student the opportunity to indicate which instrument he or she wants to learn. The teacher needs to review key factors in this regard, including the availability of instruments, the students' capabilities, and the creation of a balanced instrumental sound for the band before a final determination is made. Often, students with visual impairments seek the easiest instrument to learn, and they often prefer the drums. It is important that each student with a visual impairment understands that all instruments have specific demands and challenges, including the drums. One of my female students wanted to learn to play a saxophone, but had a partial paralysis on the left side of her body. Thus, she would not be capable of holding her instrument or learning the necessary fingering positions to play a saxophone. The situation was resolved by having the student learn how to play the timpani. She was able to use and develop her gross motor skills using both sides of her body and perform on a bass drum and several hand percussion instruments. While instruments are being selected, it is also important at this time to assess each student's learning and reading capabilities. INSTRUMENT SKILLS Once the instruments have been selected, the process of learning the basic skills that are necessary for playing the instrument begins. …