Overcoming the Visual Barrier: Enhancing Classical Music Accessibility for Blind Individuals through Accessible Sight-Reading Methods
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Date
2023-05
Authors
Park, Kenny
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Within western practices, music is typically learned either by sight or by ear. Sight-reading, a skill that relies on processing visual information from musical notation and immediately translating it into playing an instrument or singing, has long been considered a fundamental measure of classical musical ability. However, visually impaired individuals face significant challenges in compensating for their lack of sight, making sight-reading an extremely difficult task. Existing adaptive alternatives, such as braille music or 3D printed music, have limitations in terms of cost and the inability to read and play simultaneously. Research has shown that blind individuals compensate for their visual impairment by enhancing their other senses. They have been found to possess a heightened sensitivity to discrimination of music stimuli, as well as the sense of touch. This enhanced tactile sensitivity is likely a result of cross-modal plasticity, where the brain's visual areas adapt to the absence of visual input and repurpose tactile processing areas. Drawing from this knowledge, I have developed a proposed process aimed at simulating sight-reading for the blind. Leveraging vibrotactile systems, which are commonly found in haptic feedback technologies such as smartphones or video game controllers, involves stimulating tiny nodes attached to the body's surface to represent musical notes, such as the keys on a piano. The goal is to enable blind individuals to perform at a similar, or even higher level, than traditional sight-reading. By utilizing vibrotactile systems and taking advantage of the heightened tactile sensitivity of blind individuals, this proposed system holds promise for making classical music more accessible to the visually impaired.
Description
38 pages
Keywords
Blind, Music, Plasticity, Sight Reading, Accessibility, Classical Music, Physiology