A group of AMB students and teachers performing at Los Angeles City Hall.
Rachel Flowers on CBS' 60 Minutes news program, records a jazz band of different instruments using AMB adaptive technology.
In Ray Charles' studio, Ray gives AMB student Connor Head an ear-training lesson.
AMB students and Director David Pinto were featured on CBS' 60 Minutes news program. To view this and other AMB videos,click on the Media page link at the bottom (or top) of this page |
The Academy of Music for the Blind (AMB) is a non-profit organization (501C3) incorporated under the laws of the State of California. AMB is dedicated to providing music education to blind students and professionals of all ages.
All-day Saturday classes are held at
the Los Angeles campus of Junior Blind of America.
Session 1 (for 11 to 18 year old students) is held from 9:30 AM to 2 PM.
Session 2 (for 4 to 10 year old students) is held from 12:30 PM to 4 PM.
Weekday classes are held in Monrovia (a suburb of Los Angeles) from 1:30 PM to 6 PM.
In the following paragraphs, David Pinto,
executive director of AMB,
discusses the
purpose and goals of the Academy:
There are hundreds of excellent music institutes that meet the needs of the non-disabled. AMB specifically addresses the educational, social, and physical needs of blind music students of all ages so that they can fully develop their unique talents and be prepared for integration into the workplace or other educational settings.
Three distinct but integrated curriculum levels are provided: primary,
secondary, and post-secondary. The highly trained teaching
staff are equipped to handle the special needs of blind and visually
impaired students, and state of the art computer work stations with the
latest in adaptive software and hardware provide the tools necessary
for students to keep up with their sighted peers.
AMB is not only a ground breaking institute of education
for blind music students, but also provides the example and educational
strategies that other schools of music can draw from in order to serve
the needs of their blind students.
The founding of AMB
was especially dear to Ray Charles' heart, whom I had the pleasure of
working with during the last 2 years of his life. Ray wanted his legacy
to include a thriving AMB
that would serve the needs of blind students and musicians everywhere.
Within the pages of this site you will find specific details on AMB's
curriculum, objectives, and strategies.
Sincerely,
David
Pinto
Executive Director, AMB
