MagneMusic is a unique magnetic resource designed to assist students who are Blind, to understand what print music looks like. It has also been successfully used with sighted students.
The resource is a white, aluminium, flat rectangle tin 34cm X 21cm X 3cm depth, hinged down one long side and opening somewhat like a cake tin. Holding the tin vertically, you will find a grand stave marked on the front with fine black vinyl tape. The vinyl allows the lines to be clearly felt. Holding the tin horizontally and opening the lid, you will find a long single stave inside the lid, also marked with fine vinyl tape. Inside the tin you will find black magnetic print music symbols which can be placed on either stave. The symbols are magnetic on one side only, which helps with placing stems correctly. If the symbol does not stick, it needs to be turned over.
The symbols include:
1 x treble clef
1 x bass clef
1 x each of numbers 2, 3, 6 and 8
2 x number 4
1 x sharp
1 x flat
1 x natural
4 x crotchet
2 x minim
4 x semibreve
8 x crotchet note heads
6 x short stem (the note heads can be formed into extra notes using the 6 stems)
2 x individual quavers
2 x individual semiquavers (one of each with a tail indicating the note stem must go down and one with the tail indicating the stem must go up)
2 x pairs of quavers beamed together
1 x quaver plus 2 semiquavers beamed together
1 x Crotchet rest
1 x quaver rest
1 x minim/semibreve rest,
2 x small dots to make dotted notes or staccatos,
1 x hairpin or crescendo/diminuendo sign,
1 x tie/slur sign,
3 x long lines to create bar lines on a single stave,
2 x very long line to create bar lines on the grand stave.
The resource is compact and easy to carry around, and all the symbols can be kept safely inside the tin so pieces are not easily lost. The colour of the tin is white and the symbols black, for good contrast and in order to keep it the same as traditional printed music. This makes is useful for those with a little sight also.
The MagneMusic resource is available for purchase $62.00. If you would like to purchase MagneMusic or have questions, please contact Wendy Richards via email at:
wendy.richards@blennz.school.nz
BLENNZ Homai Campus Music School 