ATTITUDE AND APTITUDE:
                 Preparing Blind Students for Success

                          by Stephanie Pieck

     As a piano teacher who happens to be blind, I
have encountered all kinds of attitudes among students,
parents, and colleagues regarding the abilities of
blind musicians.

     There are those who believe, falsely in my
opinion, that, if you're blind, then you're automatically a
musical genius. Well, there may be a few of those folks
out there, but my hours of practice to prepare for recitals
and competitions lead me to believe that I, and most
other blind musicians, can't be counted in this group. No
matter how many times I explain the merits and necessity
of good training, high expectations, and just plain hard
work, they just don't get it! For the most part, this view
is an annoyance and can be ignored as long as their awe
doesn't translate into making special exceptions to the
general rules and requirements of society because of it.

     The second attitude is that blind people are
helpless, incapable of independent participation in
society, especially through employment. These people
feel that the best place for the blind is somewhere they
can be taken care of, or, barring that, somewhere that
their influence on and contact with the sighted can be
kept to a minimum. This attitude is highly dangerous,
first because it poisons all its followers' dealings with the
blind, and second, because it is too often unwittingly
taught to the blind themselves. It is based on fear and
misunderstanding.

     The third attitude I have come across is one of
acceptance, equality, and respect. While many people
who come to this attitude have initial questions, doubts
or concerns, they can be reasonable in changing their
perceptions when given the opportunity.

     You may wonder what this has to do with music.
Quite a bit, I think. Many parents, whether their children
are blind or sighted, see the value of musical instruction
and encourage their children to pursue it. We as
educators must be aware of the attitudes our blind
students will encounter in their lives. We have the
responsibility to act as role models, teaching
independence and respect to children, acting as
advocates when we must, but ultimately giving the blind
the tools and skills to advocate for themselves.

     Among my own students (who are all, at this
point, sighted), my primary goals are to teach
independent thought, respect, and an appreciation for
music. I don't spend an inordinate amount of time
focusing on the aptitude of each one: they are as varied
as any group of children and adults.

     When I have taught blind students, my goals and
expectations don't change. They must work just as hard
as everyone else, play the same recitals, practice
sight-reading, and perform to the best of their ability.
But with many of them, I have had the additional
challenge of trying to change attitudes.

     I have no foolproof way to bring people to a
balanced view of the capabilities of blind people. I can
only try to instill it in each of my sighted students and
their families, in the blind people I teach, in colleagues
who might hear one of my recitals. Actions speak louder
than words. And for the times when actions alone aren't
enough, let the music do the talking. Expect nothing less
from a blind student just because of blindness. At the
same time, don't assume they will be prodigies. We are
human beings, just like everyone else, with all the
strengths and weaknesses the human condition brings
with it.

Ed. Note:
     Ms. Pieck is also composer of the piano series,
"NEW DIRECTIONS."  It is a beautiful collection of
her own compositions, masterfully graded for her
students, and published in braille and print editions.
Contact her at: <stephpieck@hotmail.com> for
information.