From 2019 until 2024 I went to a musician high school in Italy. In this school I studied various subjects: Italian, maths, English, history and history of art and music, harmony, and music technologies.

Since I was 15 & 16 years old, I started to approach the environment of music in relation with technology. Because I was doing a secondary high school based on music I need to become more efficient to work with technology, with a computer. So, in 2021, I started to approach the Audio Software REAPER with an Italian blind user to understand how blind people make music with any obstacles or limitation due to their sight.

After a long process of learning, I became increasingly confident to use REAPER in relation with an accessible plug-in called: OSARA “Open Source for the Reaper Application” which makes the audio software accessible with screen reader like JAWS and NVDA.

With REAPER I was able to work without any barriers, as well as sighted people. I remember that I was able to work in a team workflow to create different pieces of music to accompany a video extract scene from the first film of Harry Potter.

Subsequently, when I finished the musician high school in Italy with the result of 100/100, I decided that I wanted to improve my English and expand my musical technology knowledge. So, I found a college in the United Kingdom that offers a course fully accessible, for blind people, that allowed me to become more efficient and expand my passion with music and technology. Additionally, along with media, I decided to study Functional Skills English to improve my English abilities and knowledge. Moreover, I conducted a course of mobility and independent living skills to understand and improve my mobility skills and become more independent in a home environment. Along with these subjects I study Braille Level two because in Italy we have only Braille level one that was not enough to understand the document that the teachers provide to me.

Since I started my journey at the Royal National College for the Blind, I could not express myself quite well in English with some new vocabulary from my independent living skills to subjects’ topics.

After a few days when I started, Creative Music Production, I liked the environment because they built a professional and high standard studio with equipment used in the creative music industry all around the world.

During this experience spread over two years, I was able to learn how to use Logic Pro X in relation with the screen reader VoiceOver from a beginner level to an advanced level by building confidence and awareness day by day.

The best memories that I remember from this course are my studio recording assessment with a band from the Hereford College of Art while I recorded the song: “Pretty Fly for a White Guy” because I was able to guide the production with confidence, awareness and at the same time keeping a nice and professional environment. Additionally, the creation of my first podcast which include my experience as an international student and interviews from staff and students about their experience and perspectives of moving abroad for study or work. This experience was useful because throughout the entire process, was able to manage each session with multiple tasks. Moreover, when I invited staff for an interview for my podcast, I was able to communicate date and time and set the studio ready to record a short limit of time.

One of the best highlights during my experience at college was the realisation of my Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) event. In this event, I displayed a selection of paintings and sculptures along with an associate music for each of them. In these two dates of the event, staff and students were blindfolded while they were touching the paintings and sculptures and listen to the music by scanning a QR Code.

This type of experience was useful because I was able to plan the event from its early stages to the final realisation.

In my second year the college give to me the opportunity to do a work experience with CJP Broadcast. By undertaking this work experience, I will be able to understand how audio and video can be integrated together as a blind person.

The experience at the Royal National College for the Blind helped me to become more independent during my daily routine and travel independently in busy spaces like airport.

Additionally, throughout this experience, I learnt how to focus more while I am doing different tasks and trust other people especially in the airport or travel journey with taxi driver that I do not know.

In conclusion, after these two years at college, I would like to continue my journey in the music industry whether at university in the United Kingdom to study Music Production and Sound Design or another university in Italy. Moreover, start to work in a radio or create my own podcast.