Insights in Sound, by David Baker and Lucy Green, Routledge 2019
Through an international survey combined with life-history interviews, a vivid picture of how visually impaired musicians approach and conceive their musical activities is drawn, with detailed illustrations of the particular opportunities and challenges faced by a variety of individuals. Baluji and musicians from the Inner Vision Orchestra were integral to the research.
Music has long been a way in which visually impaired people could gain financial independence, excel at a highly-valued skill, or simply enjoy musical participation. Existing literature on visual impairment and music includes perspectives from the social history of music, ethnomusicology, child development and areas of music psychology, music therapy, special educational needs, and music education, as well as more popular biographical texts on famous musicians. But there has been relatively little sociological research bringing together the views and experiences of visually impaired musicians themselves across the life course.
Insights in Sound: Visually Impaired Musicians’ Lives and Learning aims to increase knowledge and understanding both within and beyond this multifaceted group. Through an international survey combined with life-history interviews, a vivid picture is drawn of how visually impaired musicians approach and conceive their musical activities, with detailed illustrations of the particular opportunities and challenges faced by a variety of individuals.
Both Baluji and Inner Vision were integral components in the writing of this book.