Teacher, world traveler, author, and pioneer in braille music study.
At 78, most people are ready to settle down and take life easy — and who would blame them, after a life of work and worry? Thelma Corless Dikeman’s is a different story because, at 78, she’s about to embark on what she calls her “third life.” Mrs. Dikeman’s three lives are wound together with a common thread: her love of music. Her first life as a student and music teacher-performer, began in Coldwater in 1903. She began taking piano lessons at age 10 — and teaching them at age 13.
She began taking piano lessons at age 10 — and teaching them at age 13.
She got her performing roots from her father. He was a violinist and she accompanied him on the piano. She was also asked to act as accompanist for the traveling shows which came to Coldwater.
Thelma Corless went on to Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Md., where she completed, through diligent study, a three-year course in just one year. A feat, she says, which has never been repeated.
“I was one of only three girls to accomplish the course in one year. We were sort of an experiment and I had to take 16 subjects that year to succeed. After us, they never let any student do that again.”
She completed, through diligent study, a three-year course in just one year. A feat, she says, which has never been repeated.
“I’d had the background to accomplish such a thing. I’d had wonderful training.”
From Peabody, Thelma went to Battle Creek College, where she was a faculty member in the Music Department. She stayed there as a performing artist and teacher until 1930.
Thelma Corless the turned her thoughts toward teaching. “I looked for a studio in Detroit, but I couldn’t find a suitable one and wouldn’t teach over a store.” So she taught and gave recitals in private Gross Pointe homes.
She taught the Glancys and says one of her most memorable concerts was in the home of Mrs. L. Mendelssohn. Thelma’s countless memories, including pictures of those homes as well as her students, are filed neatly in scrapbooks which chronicle her career.
Thelma entered her “second life” at the age of 37 when she married Myron Dikeman, an inventor and patent attorney. They lived in The Park, then built their own home in The Woods, where she lived until shortly after Mr. Dikeman’s death in 1966.
Mrs. Dikeman had continued her private teaching in Grosse Pointe homes throughout her marriage. “My husband was very interested in my professional career, but in no way did he want it to interfere in our home life — so I taught outside our home,” Mrs. Dikeman recalls.
Perhaps the most interesting part of her “second life” are Mrs. Dikeman’s world travels — all of which have come since 1966. She made an around-the-world trip in 1967, including a stop in Israel shortly after the Six Day war. In all, she’s been in 30 countries.
Mrs. Dikeman’s “third life,” now in its 13th year, is devoted mainly to helping others: specifically, to help the blind.
So after two very full careers, why would she decide to begin a third life? “I think older people can make something of their lives. I think I’m an excellent example of an older person doing something with life. I’m not ashamed to be called a senior citizen. I’m a happy senior.”
Mrs. Dikeman’s “third life,” now in its 13th year, is devoted mainly to helping others: specifically, to help the blind.
Mrs. Dikeman joined the Grosse Pointe Braille Club in 1968. She gained proficiency in Literary Braille and after receiving certification from the Library of Congress as a Literary Braillist, searched for a way to put her knowledge of music to work for the blind.
Mrs. Dikeman received her Music Code Braille Certification from the Library of Congress in 1971. She says she is one of less than 100 people in the United States who are certified as Music Braillists by the Library of Congress. Only about 60 of those 100 are still active.
One reason there are so few Music Code Braillists may be because it is more difficult to master than is Literary Braille. In Music Code Braille, the same six dot cells and 63 charagters, and sometimes even the same signs as in Library Braille are used, but the two codes have very different and unrelated meanings.
Mrs. Dikeman has not been satisfied to settle for “just helping out.” She has developed three new music teachers books for teaching blind students.
In Music Braille, the correct note name is in the upper two-thirds of the cell and the time value is in the lower one-third of the cell. According to Mrs. Dikeman, Music Braille takes up less room and is easier to read than print music.
In her “third life,” Mrs. Dikeman has not been satisfied to settle for “just helping out.” She has developed three new music teachers books for teaching blind students. Book I is Braille Music for Piano Beginners — First Lessons for the Young. Book II is for the 12-to-adult music student and called Braille Music Piano Course. Book II is written in two volumes.
The unique aspect of the book’s is that the Braille music instructions, notes and music are on the right page of a two-page spread; the printed instructions are the exact print counterpart of the Braille page. Even the index and preface are printed in that manner.
The books make it possible for a sighted teacher who does not know Braille to tell what the child is playing. They also make it possible for a blind child to learn music from a book. “Blind students must memorize their music since, of course, they cam’t sight-read. I’ve just tried to make memorizing easier for the blind.
“Once a blind person has memorized the music, he knows it forever.”
Mrs. Dikeman says the books are the result of her own idea, which she developed as a music teacher with three blind students. It took her a year to do each book. She plans on getting started soon on Volume II of Book II, as well as developing a pop music book.
“I’ve got so many plans,” she says. “I’m so busy, sometimes I just feel swamped. It’s kind of frustrating because you wish you had more time in the day.”
It’s no wonder she needs more time in her day. In addition to her Braille Club work, she is the historian librarian for the Elizabeth Cass Chaper of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She’s also a member of the National Braille Association, whose Toronto workshop session she attended last October. And she says she’s going to rejoin the Tri-County Transcribers. She’s also a member of Coldwater’s Branch County Historical Society.
Her big project right now, however, is preparing for the music workshop she’s been asked to give for the Michigan Association of Transcribers for the Visually Impared at the group’s two-day, state-wide workshop conference this coming September.
Her books have been ordered by the Library of Congress, the Indiana and Michigan State University Libraries and the Greater Detroit School for the Blind. The books’ first edition printing has sold out.
“Most Literary Braillists don’t know anything about Music Code Braille. We hope to get them interested at that workshop.”
Apparently, Mrs. Dikeman’s work has interested someone. Her books have been ordered by the Library of Congress, the Indiana and Michigan State University Libraries and the Greater Detroit School for the Blind. The books’ first edition printing has sold out.
What makes Mrs Dikeman most happy is the impact her work has had on other members of her group. As scarce as Music Code Braillists are, there are three more Certified Music Braillists in the Grosse Pointe Brail Club.
Mrs. W. A. Huegli, Mrs G. W. Myers and Mrs. Elmo Joseph are Music Code Braillists, Mrs. Joseph is retired from active Braille work, but Mrs. Huegli, Mrs, Myers and Mrs. Dikeman carry on the tradition of the Gross Pointe Braille Club.
“We meet pretty regularly for our own workshop. Wee meet about once a month at each other’s home to have lunch, help each other, to work out Brailling problems. Sometimes those problems are like big puzzles, and we help each other solve them.”
If it is very unusual to have four Music Code Braillists in one club, as Mrs. Dikeman says, it must also be unusual to have three separate lives, as she has had. Mrs. Dikeman says she doesn’t know if it’s unusual — just that she’s happy about it.
“I’m very happy with my life and don’t mind telling people I’m 78. After all, you’re only as young as you feel!”
As young as Thelma Corless Dikeman feels at the age of 78, could there possibly be room for four lives?”
