In this episode, we welcome Andre Louis, who composes a full track for our next season of podcasts in around an hour, using Logic Pro and Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol with a screen reader. Andre refers to the session as 'musical cheffing' and he takes suggestions for ingredients from attendees! He also answers questions from attendees throughout the session. 

This podcast was recorded live, as part of the Sound Without Sight Monthly Meet-up for July 2025. We hope you enjoy! 

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This episode demonstrates accessibility tips and tricks in MuseScore Studio. We cover how to access all the functions that might be useful to low vision and neurodivergent musicians, including:

• Customising the size and colours of the user interface, 
• Applying Modified Stave Notation styles to scores, to create larger and clearer music, 
• Saving your own style template according to your requirements and applying it to all your scores,
• Using the continuous view mode to read your music in one long scrolling line. 
• And using plugins to colour notes and apply figurenotes formatting. 

We also cover screen reader and keyboard navigation, and braille music functionality. 

This session was recorded live as part of our Monthly Meet-up Session for June 2025.

I’m joined by Software Developer and Community Ambassador for MuseScore, Peter Jonas. 

You can also access a video version and notes.

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This episode features an interview with Ciara Moser. Ciara is a world class session bassist, composer, and educator on a mission to inspire through music, break down barriers, and show the world that disabilities are not limitations.

Ciara speaks about:

• Performing live, touring, and playing on recording sessions.
• The process of writing and releasing her debut album, “Blind, So What?”. 
• Taking the leap of faith to move abroad as a blind person. 
• Her work as an educator at the International renowned Berklee College of Music. 

This interview was recorded live as part of our Monthly Meet-up Session for April 2024, featuring questions submitted by our community. 

Ciara starts with an overview of her pathway into music. 

We hope you enjoy. 

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This episode features a studio tour and Q&A with producer, engineer, and technology trainer, Byron Harden.

Byron speaks about:

• His music career and his complex journey with sight loss.
• How he developed ‘I See Music’ - a vocational training provider specifically aimed at blind producers and audio engineers, based out of his own accessible studio.
• The expansion of I See Music to work with tutors and students all over the world.
• And future aspirations to create apprenticeships within the music and audio industries. 

We join Byron at the front door of On the Moon - his studio and training facility in Illinois.

We hope you enjoy. 

Edited by Samantha Jane Smith and Jay Pocknell

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So you’ve written something cool and you have a great sounding master … what next? How do you get your music out into the world and what are the different ways you can earn money from your recordings?

This episode features a panel discussion about releasing and monetising music! 

Prolific musician Andre Louis shares his experiences of using music distribution services to get his music onto streaming platforms, as well as releasing through a record label. 

Sync agent and music rights administrator Eliana Sanchez-Magner presents an introduction to music royalties and sync - the industry term for placing music in film and TV. Eli also shares her thoughts on how she would pitch some of Andre’s tracks to production companies. 

Linn Davies joins me to co-host the discussion.

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This bonus episode features an interview with young composer and performer Precious Akindele. Precious shares her experiences of studying at the prestigious BRIT School in the UK, as well as tips for succeeding in the application and audition process.

We hope this episode will be especially valuable for young people who are considering studying music at college and beyond.

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In this episode, we share the recoding from one of our first ever Monthly Meet-up Sessions, in which welcomed Ben Price as the headline guest. Ben is a prominent advocate for accessibility, in the music industry and an established Artist Manager. His company, Harbourside Management, focuses on working with disabled artists. 

Ben shares his thoughts on a range of topics, including:

• How he adapted his career in response his own journey with sight loss.
• The role of an Artist Manager, and what he looks for in aspiring artists to work with.
• And tips for disclosing disability within the music industry.

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This episode features presentation and Q&A hosted by James Risdon! James is a professional recorder player and a founder member of Paraorchestra. He is also the Access Lead at ABRSM, and previously worked as the Music Officer at RNIB. 

As part of the celebration of 200 years of braille, James takes a holistic look at how braille music fits into the practices of a modern-day classical musician.

He covers a range of topics, including:

• Sources of braille music around the world.

• Ways of getting music transcribed into braille.

• Tips for making braille music files as useful as possible.

You can access the handout here: https://soundwithoutsight.org/presentation-joining-the-dots-braille-music-in-the-21st-century/

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In this episode, we share updates from the Audio Developer Conference, ADC, 24. 

Community member Trahern Culver reported live from the event, and later in this podcast, you will hear the interviews he captured with heritage audio company SSL, musician Andre Louis, and software instrument company Spitfire Audio. Trey used a Zoom H4 essential recorder, with its built in accessibility voice guidance, to capture these.

But first, Guillem Leon shares his thoughts about ADC24’s Inclusive Design within Audio Products workshop, which I was honoured to chair.

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In this episode, we host a panel discussion, curated by Zenny Jabeera, exploring the different approaches that blind musicians might take to learning music and communicating musical ideas. 

We welcome three very special guests onto the panel: 

• Kevin Satizabal, a composer and music journalist, currently working for the BBC;
• Andre Louis, a jazz composer and music technology accessibility consultant; 
• and Clare Gailans, a braille music teacher and transcriber, and advocate for accessible formats for music notation.

The panel compare and contrast their approaches, such as using braille music notation, learning by ear, and using notation software to explore digital scores. 

This episode was recorded live, as part of the Sound Without Sight Monthly Meet-up Session for June 2024, featuring questions submitted by our community.

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In this episode, James Bowden demonstrates all the basics of braille music translation using the Sao Mai Braille app (SMB). James shows how you can use SMB to convert MusicXML format scores into BRF files, ready for embossing or reading on a braille display.

You can access the accompanying handout and notes at Sound Without Sight.

James navigates SMB using his computer keyboard and a screen reader, but sighted users can of course also navigate SMB using a mouse and without using a screen reader.

This session was recorded live, as part of the Sound Without Sight Monthly Meet-up Session for November 2024, featuring questions submitted by our community.

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In this episode, James Bowden, Braille Technical Officer at RNIB, demonstrates all the basics of the notation app MuseScore Studio using a screen reader. Please also see the accompanying handout and notes.

If you’re listening to this as an audio-only podcast but would like to see James’ screen, a video of this session is also available on the Sound Without Sight YouTube channel. 

This session was recorded live, as part of the Sound Without Sight Monthly Meet-up Session for October 2024, featuring questions submitted by our community. 

James starts with a brief overview of his background

We hope you enjoy

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In this episode, we welcome Emma Tracey. Emma is a blind podcast producer, presenter, and journalist working at the BBC. She presents BBC’s weekly disability and mental health podcast, Access All, and she can often be heard on BBC World Service, Radio 4, and 5 Live. 

Emma shares insight into a range of topics including:

• Her pathway into journalism.
• Her current roles at the BBC. 
• And the production process for the Access All podcast. 

This interview was recorded live, as part of the Sound Without Sight Monthly Meet-up Session for September 2024, featuring questions submitted by our community. 

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In this episode, we welcome Joanne Roughton-Arnold. Joanne is a visually impaired soprano and CEO and Creative Director of formidAbility, the UK's only disability-led opera company (to our knowledge). 

Joanne covers topics including:

• Her work as a leader in disability arts, including starting up formidAbility.

• Her experiences of performing in opera with a visual impairment, including singing with the Paraorchestra.

• Her experiences of applying for Arts Council England funding, and how she has helped to improve the experience for other disabled applicants.

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In this episode, we host a panel discussion, exploring the educational and professional pathways open to musicians, and tips for navigating these with a visual impairment. 

We welcome three very special guests onto the panel: 

• Bobby Goulder, who has built a career as a musician since graduating in 2015; 
• Sarah Bayley, who is a recent Music graduate, and Sound Without Sight intern, and a LOOK UK mentor. 
• and Fiona Waterspring, Student Support Services Advisor at Thomas Pocklington Trust.

This interview was recorded live, as part of the Sound Without Sight Monthly Meet-up Session for July 2024, featuring questions submitted by our community. We close the session with a top tip from each of our guests. We hope you enjoy! 

Hosted by Jay Pocknell, Project Manager at Sound Without Sight and Megan Adams, Student Mentor Project Officer at LOOK UK. 

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We are excited to share the recording from our first Monthly Meet-up, featuring headline guest, Slau Halatyn. Slau is a New York based producer, studio owner, musician, and advocate for accessibility within music production tools. He is best known for his supporting the development of accessibility within Pro Tools and Sibelius, helping to ensure that these pieces of software are compatible with VoiceOver.

This session will be of particular interest for people with an interest in music production. Slau discusses a wide range of topics, including:

• His journey as a recording engineer, producer, and studio owner.
• Tips for honing the people skills involved in being a producer and recording engineer, as a visually impaired person. 
• His experience of working with Avid to improve accessibility of their products, and becoming the VoiceOver guru for Pro Tools.

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