By Darold Treffert, MD

On November 20, 2002 the only specialized educational facility in the world uniquely dedicated to the needs, and potential, of persons with sight loss and special musical abilities opened at Redhill College, Surrey, England. It is run as a joint initiative between two leading charities of England — The Royal National Institute for the Blind and the Amber Trust, which specializes in helping people who have learning disabilities, sight loss and special music abilities or needs.

While the mission of this special Centre is broader than just serving musical savants, certainly a significant number of students will be in that category and Dr. Adam Ockelford, a prime mover in this project, has distinguished himself as an expert in the teaching and training of musical savants and has written widely on that topic. He has also produced a number of useful audiotapes and videotapes for teachers and therapists working with this specialized population.

(brochure image to come)
The descriptive brochure for Soundscape reads, in part, as follows:

"Soundscape is a place where disability is viewed from a different perspective, where self-expression and communication through music will lead to a world of freedom, independence and hope for the future. The professional staff at Soundscape know that music can transform the lives of people with sight loss. They are creating a center where the talents of performers can be nurtured and where the students can train for employment. Soundscape will become the international center of excellence for music and the performing arts for people with serious sight problems and other disabilities."

"For people with serious sight problems, and particularly those who have additional learning difficulties, music can be very important. Music can promote learning, provide freedom for self-expression and, of course, be a source of great pleasure and fulfillment. For some people with learning difficulties it can even help in acquiring the skills to be able to communicate confidently with others."

"At present there are no specialist education facilities in the world for people who have sight loss and special music needs. For music savants — people who have extraordinary musical ability in the context of learning difficulties — the situation is just as bleak. Almost invariably their talents lie wasted and unused and we, in turn, are deprived of their special gifts. Soundscape will provide specially tailored educational programs to meet the individual needs of students with sight loss from the UK and abroad. There will also be training for work, in particular through the use of technology in areas such as radio production and sound recording. Soundscape will provide more than academic and vocational training for students. It will provide a total education, including training in everyday skills such as how to cook, shop and get out and about when you have a serious sight problem. Acquiring these skills will mean students can determine the course of their own lives with independence and dignity."

It is estimated there are currently over 100 music savants, with a range of different abilities, in the UK who could benefit from a learning program at Soundscape. One of those students is Derek, a very well-known musical savant in England, who is described elsewhere on this site by Dr. Adam Ockelford who has worked closely with Derek over a number of years. Dr. Ockelford is Head of National Education Services at the Royal National Institute for the Blind, and a co-founder of the Amber Trust, which is dedicated to providing long-term support and opportunity for music savants. He has been a moving force in the establishment of Soundscape. Doctor Ockelford can be reached at Adam.Ockelford@rnib.org.uk.


For more information, please contact:
Darold A. Treffert, MD
St. Agnes Hospital, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison
Personal Web site: http://www.daroldtreffert.com
e-mail: savants@charter.net