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Thread: Do you read music through a bioptic telescope?

  1. Do you read music through a bioptic telescope?

    If you do, you already know what a bioptic telescope is and I would like to know what your experiences with them, both positive and negative, have been.

    If you don't know what a bioptic telescope is, it can best be defined as a spectacle-mounted magnifier that allows users to read at a distance of several feet. Normal corrective lenses are of no use at this distance. In some states, individuals can also drive using bioptic telescopes, but this is not the use I'm discussing here.

    BTs are prescribed for visually impaired individuals where corrective lenses do help to improve reading vision at the critical distance of three to five feet. This about the distance most tuba-euph players need to set the music stand to clear the instrument. They come in various magnifictions. The basic rule is, however, that the more you magnify, the narrower the field of view. BTs allow you see mayber three or four measures of music at a time and require some practice to train yourself to read and follow. They are also VERY expensive, and can run about $1500 or more.

    I have an ongoing vision problem that has rendered reading standard music essentially impossible. I have tried other solutions, but, for various reasons, they do not work or are too cumbersome for daily use. A recent visiit to a rehab optometrist at the Chicago Lighthouse resulted in a recommendation that I try a bioptic telescope. I am willing to so, to work with it, and the bear the expense, but would like to know if anyone has experience with this.

    if interested, the major manufacturer of BTs is Ocutech, a NC bases company: www.ocutech.com

    Sorry for the long post. Thanks for your comments.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
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    Central North Carolina
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    I try not to respond to questions about topics in which I have little or know knowledge -- and bioptic telescopes is one of these. However, I find the idea of a bioptic telescope to be very interesting and have looked at the description of this device on the Ocutech site. As a result, there is one consideration I want to offer you.

    Let me begin by saying that my own approach to declining visual capability at this point in my life is a fairly expensive one that I may decide to modify in the future. But for now the solution is to employ three different pairs of glasses. The first is my "standard" pair for "normal things" and is a pair of bifocals. I'm happy with them EXCEPT when working outdoors in the NC summer when perspiration is an issue. But there are ways to help with that (e.g., sweat bands). I've tried three times in my life to wear contact lenses, like the vision they provide, but have never been able to stick with them in the long term because of a "dry eye" kind of problem. Glasses are just easier and less irritating for me. The bifocals are useless for reading music or working at the computer.

    The second pair is my "close up" pair (which I'm wearing as I type this). I use it for all work at the computer and for reading music. It's designed to read things at a distance of about 24" (or a bit more or less) and is single vision -- not bifocal. When working at a desk, I often need to switch between pairs 1 and 2 since pair 2 is marginally useful for reading, especially for any length of time.

    The third pair is my "athletic" pair. Single vision, but for distance. This is primarily for playing tennis since I discovered that wearing bifocals for tennis is really not a good idea .

    Why not trifocal or graduated lenses? Two reasons. First, I've always been concerned about the image quality from my glasses, and I don't think those more complex lenses provide what I'm looking for. Second, using lenses of that sort requires SOME degree of head adjustment in order to bring the correct portion of the lens into play. While I think this might be fine for normal uses during one's day, doing this while playing music (I believe) would be either irritating or quite difficult or uncomfortable. So I've always shied away from these. I may change my mind about this in the future, but it would require a significant trial. I'm also skeptical that they would work well for sports and other outdoor activities.

    This brings me to the concern I would have with a bioptic telescope. Consider,

    'By attaching the telescope to the eyeglasses, the wearer can switch their sight between their "regular vision" and the magnified vision through the telescope by just a slight downward tilt of the head. It is fast and convenient to do.'

    Perhaps fast and convenient to do for most needs during a normal day. And perhaps even for driving. But for playing music (which requires a coordination of your head position, instrument position, and embouchure)? Color me skeptical. You may be able to adjust to it, but it may require some real discipline. And you might discover that playing with the help of a stand rather than just holding the instrument would make things easier. But I think this is a concern that should be raised with your optometrist, opthalmologist, or provider. I'd try to work a deal where I could try the bioptic telescope and return it (for at least a partial refund) if it didn't work out. Normally you would have to pay the diagnostic, prescription, and fitting fees in any event. But you might be able to get an agreement on returning the device itself (my wife is looking at just such an agreement for a particularly unusual set of contact lenses).

    Also, ...

    " ... three to five feet. This about the distance most tuba-euph players need to set the music stand to clear the instrument."

    This certainly is not true for me. My music on the stand is typically about 2' 4" from my eyes. With my "close vision" glasses, I can have it a bit further away; and I can get quite a bit closer if necessary. But 3' is significantly further than I have ever set a stand, and 5' is totally out of the park. I've never had a "clearance" problem with any instrument (among a flute, saxophone, trombone, euphonium, or tuba).

    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  3. #3
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    Jan 2006
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    West Palm Beach, FL
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    I've not had any experience with 'bioptic telescope' lenses either, but there is a horn player in a local area band who is thinking about getting these. Not sure if she has macular degeneration or something else. For now she blows up the music to about twice it's size so she can see the notes. When she sings in the choir, she also makes her music larger and holds it closer to here eyes.

    I applaud you for doing what ever it takes to keep playing music.
    Last edited by RickF; 06-18-2013 at 10:04 PM.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  4. Gary,

    Your concerns are mine as well. The optometrist working with me indicated that it takes some effort to "train" the head and eye to follow the music. When I tried the demo set that was available, I was able to see about two to three measures in the frame, but was able to do so quite clearly from a distance of several feet. The Lighthouse will a rehab technician out to both my home and to a rehearsal in order to take precise measurments of the required distance, stand height, illumination, etc.

    I really want to explore this option and have considered several alternatives. No regular spectacles of any kind, give me enough vision to read music at any distance. I have tried to enlarge music but find this cumbersome since it's hard to find copiers/printers that scan/print 11x17. As we probably all know, music scanning software is still primitive at best, and for me, would require hauling around a 24" flat screen (it's already hard enough dealing with a tuba, tuba stand, sheet music folder, music stand (sometimes), etc.

    Rick, yes, music is very important to my life and I want to be able to play and contribute. It is more than worth the effort to do so. One of the tuba players in my community band turns 89 on July 4. He uses a walker, but once he puts that tuba in hand (a Yamaha Eb), he is one of the most nimble players I know and never misses a note.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
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    My attitude about these things at my age is that you do what's necessary and spend the money if you have it. Otherwise, what are you saving the money for? There's a lot to go wrong as you age, and the best you can do is address one problem at a time. My plan is to keep on with the tuba as long as I'm physically capable of hauling it around. Retreat to the euph at that point. Then maybe take up flugelhorn . (Well, it is technically a soprano tuba.) There's always the final resort of going back to the flute -- if I haven't lost all my high range hearing and don't have intolerable shoulder arthritis.

    If I lose the hearing, I'll quit. I've played in one band with a deaf 1st horn player. Don't want to be that guy. Beethoven made it work, but the circumstances were special in that case.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

  6. Quote Originally Posted by ghmerrill View Post
    . . . I've played in one band with a deaf 1st horn player. . .
    Are other kinds of horn players????

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Central North Carolina
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    Quote Originally Posted by BassclefBarrister View Post
    Are other kinds of horn players????
    In honesty I must grant that this is not a wholly unreasonable question. However, in fairness to horn players generally, I must say that I have known a number of the other kind. And I continue to marvel that anyone can get musical sounds out of an instrument that has such a (so-called) mouthpiece.

    For more irony, consider that in the particular band I was referring to the 3rd horn player had been associate principal horn at the CSO many years ago, had given up playing for medical reasons for some years, and was just returning to playing. I got to practice quite early one time to find him alone on the stage and just warming up. Astounding. Why he was playing 3rd is a question I shall not attempt to delve into here.
    Gary Merrill
    Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
    Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
    Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
    1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
    Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
    1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)

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