Hi. I do not know if there are other people like me out there but I thought that it would be cool to find someone that I could talk to. I am a blind clarinet player who also plays alto sax, and flute. I own three clarinets. Two are plastic. One old and one new. The other is a wooden one that my grandfather bought for me. I am 17 years old and play in the marching band though I can no longer march. I also play in the concert band and a professional polka band. I was not blind when I learned to play so I am able to listen to people play and then I can repeat what they play by listening and then memorizeing. If there is anyone out there like me it would be really great to email each other.

I just wanted to say I admire your courage to keep playing after this has happened to you.

Thankyou for you admiration but I find that it is more of a love for music than anything else. When I first started to play I realized that I really liked it and promised myself that I would never quit. If it were not for the people that play the music for me to listen to and then memorize I would be mad at myself for forgetting my promise. I find that music is also a way to calm your self. I can get really mad at something that happened during the day but when I sit down with my instructor who is also one of my best friends I find that I relax even when I am haveing trouble with the music. Once again I thank you and sorry for any misspellings.

That`s really cool Jennifer! It`s amazing that you still continue to play... It must be so much harder to learn the songs... I should be ashamed hehe... It takes me long enough to learn written music.

Well I`m just amazed that you can type so well!
I can play with my eyes shut... but if I try to type with them shut ir ryens iyr ainwrubf ujw rgua. (It turns out something like this)

I know that it is really hard for alot of people to type with their eyes shut. but when I was in 7th grade I had to learn the keyboard for a class so I already knew where the letters are on the keyboard. The thing that really helps is that I can run a program through that will read to me what I wrote so I know if I did something wrong. My mom is also there to help when I need her to help me with something that I am doing. It does take a little bit to get used to ( OK alot to get used to but once you have found a good way to get around being blind and playing music you know what you can do and what you can not. I can not wait until I get my seeing eye dog though. I get to go tomarrow to pick a dog out. I am thinking about a golden retriever. It will take a little before I get to use her but once we are both trainded it will be a lot better then useing the dumb cane. At any rate I love to play and that is what really matters.

I really admire you! It`s tough staying in music with a disability. I`m moderately deaf, but I don`t let that keep me from playing numerous instruments. In fact, I love music so much that I`m a freshman in college studying music education!

I wish you luck!

Doe sthere exsist a music form of braille?

^yea i`m wondering that too, that would be so cool!

Good for you to continue playing! It`s amazing and an inspiration for us all!

cooooooooool. hmm. i someimes think about blind people having a sixth sense..... i see blind people walking around so fast. can blind people see memories? no offense if it`s anything bad to say but, i don`t know any blind people.

if there was a music form of braille.... how could you feel the dots?lol

pockettrumpet has a good point to your theory. No there is not brail music. I litterally have a person that sits down with me and plays the music so I know how it goes and then I copy what I hear. It does take a while and I have to memorize it but it is still a lot of fun. For the question of if blind people see memories it is hard to answer. I was not always blind so I remember where things are in the house and do not need help in the house but when I leave the house I have a guide dog that helps me to get around. I can walk a lot faster with my dog then if I would just have a cane but when things change it does slow you down a little. My family had to remember to push the chairs in because I used to trip over them when the were away from the table. I can also say that they do a great job of keeping things out of my way even though I find stuff on the floor with my cane. I learned to use it in the house now because we just got a dog and I do not want to trip over it.

I think guide dogs are the noblest animals on earth.

when you are blind do all your other senses get better?