Alexandru Cozaciuc – Braillecast

An Introduction to the Orbit Reader (Extra 58)

00:00 / 1:16:41

The Orbit Reader range is now very extensive and comprises the Orbit Reader 20, the Orbit Reader 20 Plus and the Orbit Reader 40. On Tuesday 30 May 2023, James Bowden, Braille Technical Officer at RNIB, talked us through what these products can do, how they work, and the differences between Orbit Readers and other braille displays and notetakers.

We learnt:

The differences between the Orbit Reader 20, 20 Plus and 40
How Orbit technology differs from traditional braille display technology
How to find and open files
How to find text within a file
How to use the editor
How to transfer files between the Orbit and a computer

For further information please visit the Braillists Foundation Media Page.

Braille Music: Let’s Tackle the Basics, Session 3 (Extra 28)

00:00
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22:30

After a recap of octave signs and intervals, this session covered:

Word signs
Ties and slurs
Phrase marks

You can follow Stuart on Twittre (@stuartlawler)

Braille Music: Let’s Tackle the Basics! (Extra 22)

00:00 / 1:04:33

Topics covered in this session:

Debunking some myths
Notes and note values – quavers, crotchets, minims, semibreves and dotted notes
Sharp, flat and natural signs
Time signatures and their placement – 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, common time, 6/8, 9/8
Key signatures and their placement – D major (2 sharps), A major (3 sharps), B major (5 sharps) and F sharp major (6 sharps)

Resources of interest:

RNIB Music Advisory Service
Braille Music for Beginners for the Piano by Joan Partridge: available from RNIB, product code 25282902 (braille) or 25282903 (print)
A Course in Braille Music by Maeve Smith
Focus on Braille Music by Lisette Wesseling, published by Musicians in Focus Ltd and available from Techno-Vision Systems Ltd
Who’s Afraid of Braille Music? by Richard Taesch and William R. McCann, available from Dancing Dots
Braille Music in a Digital Age, by Roger Firman and Clare Gailans, published by the International Council on English Braille at its Seventh General Assembly (2020):
Hadley School for the Blind braille music course (no longer available)
ICEB Braille Music page
New International Manual of Braille Music Notation
BrailleOrch (in English)
Braille Music Editor

Follow @stuartlawler and @roisindermody on Twitter

Join the next event on Monday 10 May 2021 at 8:00 PM in the UK and Ireland

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