New Phonetics For Blind Singers

Earlier in the week, we wrote about Louis Braille and how he made adaptations for music and mathematics by adding extra symbols. Now, a professor at Vanderbilt University is helping blind aspiring classical singers pronounce lyrics. Cherie Montgomery, a voice professor, has created a new braille phonetic system.

Lacking the resources to teach a student lyric diction, Montgomery found a solution. She published a textbook, "Singer's Diction for Braille Readers," which includes a phonetic chart with visual and tactile symbols.

"[With the chart,] teachers can point to a symbol and say this is the sound you're making [and] I would like to hear for example this sound..." she said.

Please contact SDCB if you are struggling with vision loss and would like to have more independence.

"Professor develops braille symbols to help blind classical singers learn proper enunciation"