Texas School for the Blind & Visually ImpairedOutreach Programswww.tsbvi.edu | 512-454-8631 | 1100 W. 45th St. | Austin, TX 78756

2020 Texas Focus: Self-DeterminationThursday, February 27th, 20201:15 PM-2:15 PMMusic for Self-Expression and Self-Advocacy

Presented byJane Rundquist, Music Educator (Retired), Austin, TX

pjanerun@me.com

Daniel Butler, Residential Instructor, TSBVI, Austin, TX

butlerd@tsbvi.edu

Developed forTexas School for the Blind & Visually ImpairedOutreach Programs

You must obtain permission from the speaker or TSBVI Outreach to reproduce this handout for any purpose other than your individual handout.

Synthesis and Sound Design

Dan Butler, Residential Instructor, TSBVI

Synthesis and sound design allows blind and visually impaired students to explore the exciting and flexible world of synthesis. In recent years, analog synthesizers have made a comeback. As such, equipment that used to be prohibitively expensive is now affordable. What’s more, unlike many digital synthesizers, a great deal of analog synthesizers can be operated without the use of a visual menu display screen, (i.e. they are tactile instruments). Choosing equipment that is accessible to blind and low vision students allows them to fully explore the instruments independently.

Synthesizer basics. Key terms and concepts explained with audio samples.https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/synthesizer-basics-explained-with-audio-samples/

Great starter synths:

KORG MS20 mini - https://www.korg.com/us/products/synthesizers/ms_20mini/

Arturia Microbrute - https://www.arturia.com/microbrute/overview

Littlebits Synth Kit - https://littlebits.com/products/synth-kit

Teenage Engineering P.O. series - https://teenage.engineering/products/po

2020 Texas Focus – Music for Self-Expression and Self-Advocacy – Butler, D. & Rundquist, J. 1

You must obtain permission from the speaker or TSBVI Outreach to reproduce this handout for any purpose other than your individual handout.

Texas School for the Blind & Visually ImpairedOutreach Programs

Figure 1 TSBVI logo

Figure 2 IDEAs that Work logo.

This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Education Special Education Programs (OSEP). Opinions expressed here are the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Department of Education.

2020 Texas Focus – Music for Self-Expression and Self-Advocacy – Butler, D. & Rundquist, J. 2