Reasonable adjustments in test Extra playings (25% extra playing) time between playings Inclusive assessment protocol – e.g. all students to prepare rhythm and singing exercises. Other areas of difficulty for musicians Co-ordination in playing instruments (violin…) can be difficult but – motivation is key L/R confusion “Play A harmonic minor LH alone…”. So the teacher could point, rather than saying (this can apply in public examinations) Concepts of up and down – ‘up’ on a keyboard is to the R…; higher notes on a cello may require going down the fingerboard…; keyboard music – top = R, bottom = L. So – point and/or use a cardboard keyboard and turn it vertically to demonstrate Beating time (practice!) Playing or singing with a conductor involves looking up and back to the music constantly. Keep you finger/thumb on the page if you’re singing. Otherwise, it’s practice. Reasonable adjustments in (external) exams (Music and acting) Key points Proof of dyslexia must be obtained well in advance of entry for any examination proof of dyslexia must be obtained; this will usually be a report from an Educational Psychologist, a Specialist Teacher, a SENCO and so on and must be less than 3 years old. Examiners are informed about the needs of candidates with SpLDs and will make efforts to help.
See forthcoming book to be published by the BDA on music, the performing arts and dyslexia. This includes a chapter on sight reading for actors by Deborah Leveroy, who has contributed the information below. only 20 minutes preparation available Important to understand the text Directors aren’t looking for a ‘word perfect’ reading but want to see the choices the actor has made concerning character Strategies Get the script as early as possible If you only have (e.g.) 20 mins – find a quiet place (the toilet if necessary!) – particularly somewhere where you can concentrate and read out loud Connect to your breath – breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth Flick through the pages – get an overall picture: how many characters? Dense prose or short dialogue? Don’t focus on individual words Look for clues as to what it’s about – title etc Do you know any other plays by the same author? Are there long sentences – if so you’ll need to think about where to breather What kind of punctuation? This may give clues – e.g. lots of ? or ! What can you use of yourself to inform the situation? Make bold choices and stick to them. Mark up ‘gear changes’ (of emotion) in the passage Read it out loud. Don’t get on individual words. Better to guess the meaning or pronunciation and be brave! Memorise the 3 words of key sections “Hold the script parallel with the floor out in front of you” so that your face can be seen Remember to breathe. Be aware of your body – 2 feet on the floor Use your thumb as a marker so that you don’t lose your place Communicate the sense of the words; don’t say words without thoughts
Oglethorpe, S. (2002), Instrumental Music for Dyslexics: A Teaching Handbook. London: Whurr Publishers. Patel, A. (2011), ‘Why would musical training benefit the neural encoding of speech? The OPERA hypothesis’. Frontiers in Psychology 2(142), pp.1-14. Zatorre R.J., Chen J.L. & Penhune V.B. (2007), ‘When the brain plays music: Sensory-motor interactions in music perception and production’. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 8, pp.547-558.