Music Through My Spectacle

學音樂，往往從看樂譜開始。
視力健全的人，做起來不費吹灰之力，那視障人士呢？
是否視力不及常人，就等於失去學習音樂的機會？
到底有沒有方法，可以助視障人士走上夢想的音樂之道？

熱愛音樂的Polly Chan，在一次偶然的機會下，在心光盲人院暨學校從事一項義工服務──教導兩個九歲的視障孩子學習彈鋼琴。Polly很快發現到，這些孩子的視力，使他們學習音樂要比普通人吃力得多，因為他們無法閱讀普通的琴譜，遑論理解音符甚至演奏。她醒悟到，原來自己一直覺得理所當然、就像呼吸和吃飯一樣容易的事，對其他人來說，可能是個遙不可及的夢。

以此為契機，Polly開始嘗試不同方法，把現行的樂譜系統變得更方便視障人士閱讀；後來她經香港展能藝術會的介紹，結識著名的視障音樂家李軒，與他交流向視障學生教授音樂的經驗，進一步加強了她的決心，寫下這本為視障學生而設的鋼琴教科書。

在香港，專為視障人士學習音樂而設的書，可說是鳳毛麟角，Polly這本帶著滿腔熱誠編寫的教科書，絕對是開創了先河。書中包含了各種有助視障學生閱讀樂譜的設計、學習鋼琴的小貼士、點字樂譜等，也為老師提供各種教學建議。

這本書是作者根據自身教學經驗、觀察及由視障音樂家提供的資料，專為視障初學者學習鋼琴而設的教科書，為所有夢想走上音樂之路的視障人士，提供一道進入音樂世界的大門。

書中內容包括樂譜全都附有點字對照，而所有教材均經過適度放大，方便視障人士閱讀。此外，書中樂譜都加上了輔助設計，使視障人士可以更輕鬆、迅速地理解樂譜，例如透過顏色強調升降號、完整的手指位置標記，以及各種標示手部動作轉換的輔助符號等。書中亦為鋼琴老師提供教授視障學生時要注意的事項及建議，相當實用。

It is a pleasure and privilege to recommend Music Through My Spectacle from Polly Chan, a book which opens a new door for the visually impaired to pursue their musical endeavours.

Music is usually perceived as a privilege of the sighted – to learn and to play a music pieces, first you have to READ the music scores. Is it really impossible for the visually impaired people to learn music?

A memorable volunteer experience of teaching piano in Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired inspired a young woman, Polly Chan, who has lots of passion for music, to adjust the existing sighted music system, making it more accessible to the visually impaired. Later she encountered the famous visually impaired musician Lee Hin, who gave her valuable insights into teaching musicians with disabilities.

“Many of us attribute blind musicians to musical prodigies or simply miracles due to misconceptions derived from our unfamiliarity with blindness.” Polly wrote. “With unwavering patience and befitting methods, the visually impaired can also enjoy the strongest form of expression and perform the most therapeutic kind of magic.”

In this book, Polly presents alternative ways for visually impaired people to learn piano, aided by various handicap-friendly features, tips on learning piano, instructions for teacher as well as traditional braille music system. It is indeed a valuable and helpful guide book for those who are visually impaired but are determined to experience the wonderfulness of music.

This is a piano guide book for visually impaired beginners. It is designed in a format which is more accessible than existing sighted music system for visually impaired students, based on author’s personal teaching experience, observation and information collected from visually impaired musicians. Aside from traditional braille music system, it also includes handicap-friendly features such as greatly enlarged music scores, colours, finger numberings, etc. The choice of song material is a mixture of some familiar favourites and tuneful originals, all adding to the enjoyment of making music. For teachers, the book also provides tips and advices in assisting visually impaired students.

部分內文

Polly Chan

曾就讀聖保羅男女中學，現為英國坎特伯雷國王公學學生。Polly熱衷於義工工作，碰上自己掛心的課題，更會投放大量心力與時間，當中包括服務於心光盲人院暨學校及愛護動物協會（SPCA）。

對Polly而言，音樂是生命裡不可或缺的一部分。她參加了學校合唱團，又於英國皇家音樂學院聯合委員會考試（ABRSM）取得聲樂及鋼琴八級的成績。除了遵循正統方法追求音樂，Polly也熱愛百老匯音樂劇，更是經驗老到的百老匯追星族。

在音樂以外的時間，她喜歡烘焙各種食物，例如抹茶戚風蛋糕，也喜歡嘗試新食譜。喜愛動物的她養了隻名叫Baby的烏龜，也設立了部落格「My Fauna」，以喚起大眾對虐待動物的注意。

Polly attended St. Paul’s Co-educational College and is currently studying at The King’s School, Canterbury UK. She enjoys volunteering and devotes her time to causes and interests that are close to her heart, including Ebenezer School and Home for the Visually Impaired, and The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Polly views music as an indispensable part of her life. She is a member of the school choir and has achieved Grade 8 distinctions (ABRSM) in both singing and piano. Apart from pursuing music formally, Polly is a huge fan of Broadway musicals and a professional Broadway stars stalker.

When she is not playing music, she enjoys baking goodies like matcha chiffon cake and trying new recipes. As an animal lover with a pet turtle named Baby, Polly also runs her own Blog, entitled ‘My Fauna’, to raise awareness against animal cruelty.

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• SCMP Young Post 「Polly Chan's scores are a sight for sore eyes」 [2016-01-11]