Assistive Music Technology For Visually Impaired Musicians
This program is designed to prepare visually impaired students to independently and effectively communicate with other sighted musicians using assistive music technology.
The program helps students to explore notation, digital audio production, and Braille music. The program includes a class as well as a lab component that helps students to get started on their assignments.
The assistive music technology (AMT) program at Berklee College of Music is intended to fully integrate visually impaired students into the Berklee experience and empower these students to create and perform music at the highest levels, translating into a successful career in music. We believe that with the right support system, and a working knowledge of today’s assistive technology, these students can succeed at the same levels as their sighted musician peers.
The program provides a course on assistive music technology, a lab fully equipped with music workstations, and staff that support students for their classes. The course includes instruction on techniques—such as audio recording production, music scoring, and Braille music—necessary for any music-related career.
The overall program is responsible for ensuring that the students have the same opportunities at Berklee as their sighted peers. Through this program, Berklee is leading the way by fully educating and empowering talented visually impaired musicians, and serving as a model for other institutions across the country.
Berklee offers a Five-Week Summer Performance program for non-Berklee students, and visually impaired students can take an AMT course as part of the program. This is an excellent opportunity to get a taste of the Berklee experience, and we strongly recommend that visually impaired students accepted into Berklee take the program as preparation for course work and as a chance to get acclimated to Boston. To attend the Five-Week program, you must be at least 15 years old by the start of the program and have been playing your instrument (or singing) for a minimum of six months.
For questions regarding curriculum and accommodations contact Accessibility Resources for Students.
Any visually impaired student enrolled in any program at Berklee College of Music can participate in this program.
- Effectively communicate with sited peers and instructors using assistive technology learned in the course;
- Produce a musical arrangement utilizing MIDI, software synthesizer, audio recording, and plug-in effects;
- Demonstrate the basic elements and concepts of music and basic printed and Braille notation;
- Make use of notation application using Sibelius and Sibelius Access; and
- Create a simple chart for the rhythm section and a lead line.
MTH-P111: Assistive Music Technology for Visually Impaired Musicians