Amber Sound Touch has been developed in response to all the parents of blind and partially sighted children who, over the last 25 years, have told us that they can’t find a music teacher for their child. This much-needed resource has been two years in production and has involved a number of the families and young people that we support, their music teachers and other professionals who work with them, to whom we are indebted. With Amber Sound Touch, we are now able to influence the attitudes and perceptions of music teachers, increase their understanding and, most importantly, enhance equality of opportunity for blind and partially sighted children in their pursuit of music across the UK and beyond.

Adam Ockelford began working with visually impaired students in the late 1970s, first as a volunteer and then as the Head of Music at Linden Lodge School for the Blind in London, where he discovered that many of his students had a profound talent and love for music. Now a Professor of Music and Director of the Applied Music Research Centre at the University of Roehampton, Adam still regularly works with young blind and partially sighted students, including those with additional disabilities.

Adam’s books and research publications include: 'The Tuning in Music book and Activity Cards' , 'Sounds of Intent - A Curriculum Famework for Making Music with Children and Young People with Learning Difficulties, Complex Needs and Autism' (see soundsofintent.org), 'Focus on Music - A series which examines the musical lives of visually impaired children and young people with three different identified syndromes': Focus on Music 1, Focus on Music 2, 'Comparing Notes' - How we Make Sense of Music' and 'In the Key of Genius' - The Extraordinary Life of Derek Paravicini'.

Adam is Secretary of the Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (‘SEMPRE’), Chair of Soundabout, an Oxfordshire-based charity that supports music provision for children and young people with complex needs, a Trustee of Live Music Now, and founder and Trustee of The Amber Trust.

Hannah began teaching piano and upper strings for her local music service over 15 years ago and has since taught in the UK and internationally, working with a diverse range of students in mainstream, special and international schools. Hannah now works with Adam Ockelford at Roehampton University's Applied Music Research Centre developing music education resources, and with The Amber Trust, as their music services manager.

Hannah gained her PhD in Ethnomusicology (focusing on western music and music education in Mumbai) from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Acknowledgements

This project would not have been possible without the support of the following people and organisations.

The Amber Trust would like to thank

• The University of Roehampton
• The Baluji Shrivastav Foundation
• The GC Gibson Charitable Trust
• Highbury School
• The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust
• Linden Lodge School
• MariaMarina Foundation
• Sing Education
• St Paul’s School
• Worcester College, Oxford
• The Worcester Snoezelen

Consultants

• James Risdon
• Sally Zimmermann

Review panel

• Harry Cox
• Jenny Cooper
• Jason Constantine
• Gary Day
• Aileen Dixon
• Gennie Joy
• Leda Kamenopoulou
• Carrie Lennard
• Noura Sanatian
• Wei Sam Soo
• Pablo Urbina
• Angela Voyajolu
• Eira Walters

Film

Evans Woolfe Media

Photography

• Roger Green
• Phoebe Smith

Website

max-interactive.com