The Lighthouse Jazz Ensemble, directed by Marc Wagnon,
performs at Lighthouse International’s New York City headquarters.
At center is vocalist Dana Avant.
NEW YORK—At a recent lunchtime concert at Lighthouse International’s midtown Manhattan headquarters, The Lighthouse Jazz Ensemble entertained an audience of friends and fans with its spirited renditions of jazz standards. The performance, which had appreciative audience members tapping their feet, provided a showcase for the group members, all of whom have vision loss.

Unseen by the audience, though, was the unique looking sheet music that several band members were reading. It was created by Lighthouse staff members who used special software programs to reformat and enlarge the notes.

“We’re able to customize large print according to what a student’s eye condition is,” explained Tony Falaro, Lighthouse International’s Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School’s assistant director. “People with tunnel vision can only see in the center, but if they have macular degeneration, they may only see peripherally.

“We can get music to them quickly, which speeds up the learning process,” he adeed. “It puts them on equal footing with other players in an ensemble. It’s all about accessability.”

Falaro also works with software programs such as Dancing Dots that converts print music to Braille. “While jazz musicians play by ear, the thing that’s interesting is that even prominent musicians with vision loss such as Ray Charles read Braille music. We’re dispelling the myth that not everyone learns by ear.”

The Jazz Ensemble is one of several musical groups organized by Greenberg, which offers classes for both adults and children throughout New York City.

“We also have a contemporary rock ensemble, a children’s program, a teen ensemble, a percussion ensemble, and a chorus,” said the school’s director, Leslie Jones, DMA. Jones noted that since the Greenberg School’s founding in 1913, it has provided opportunities for people with vision loss to become independent through education and job training.