SIGHT READING SESSION

MSU Choral Colloquium

Regina Weeks, presenter

Goal: To prepare students to be independent, confident readers of

music that extends beyond the classroom. (not just contest prep)
Community, college, personal studio, personal enjoyment
Basic Rules and Suggestions for Success!
Sight read EVERY DAY!! It needs to be part of who they
are as a choral music student. Pick up a book, or handout as
they come in. Bell Ringer on the board. (I give mine Fridays
off from sight reading.)
(The greatest compliment to your good teaching is
when you are not there they can teach themselves!)
Video your students often from the beginning of the school
year, to their last performance. They love to see how far
theyve come!
Assume they know NOTHING!! (Theyre going to act like
they dont know anything anyway so oblige them!!) There
is nothing wrong with reviewing the basics the value is
greatly underestimated! Odds are that you have a mixture of
new and old students.
Prepare a sequence in which you will introduce things. I
begin with rhythm first and use rhythm syllables and then
slowly incorporate melody.
Choose a system of teaching melody and stick to it!!
Judges agree solfege is the most successful method of
sight reading!
Insist on good tone production, diction, and support!
APPLICATION this is my buzz word! Always find time to
make application to choral literature. Sit back and watch the
lightbulbs go off!
Use multiple ways on multiple levels. Games, rounds, music
math, rhythmic and melodic dictationMake it as easy as
you want, or as difficult! (Sample: handouts)

 Teach rhythmic and melodic dictation. Allow students to

compose rhythmic and melodic exercises and have them
teach them to the class.

What Does the Rehearsal Look Like?

With enough forethought plan your warm up to go hand in

hand with
your sight reading exercise for that day.
Structure your rehearsal with the expectation/goal in mind.
(Often we sight read our score rhythmically and
melodically.)
Samples:

-Thank You Soldiers, by Michael and Angela Souders -- Alfred cd trax

and dvd trax.
-Everywhere Christmas Tonight, by Brooks, Williams and Martin Shawnee
Press cd trax

-Solfege Santa, by Cristi Miller Hal Leonard cd trax

Divide into SATB, SAB, SSA or TTBB sections or whatever

the design of your class.
For the melodic component: Section leaders lead in
chanting the solfege in rhythm. (My students get in large
circles with stronger readers interspersed.)
Maximize time 100% on task utilizing 100% of the given
time! Time them and video them. Let them see what works
and what doesnt within their circle. It also allows them to
see who is hanging on their skirt tails!
ISOLATE difficult measures and intervals. Section leaders
lead students in identifying potential trouble spots odd
intervals, tricky rhythms, tricky solfege, looking ahead to
what comes next! (Sample: Interval Hints)
Bring it back! Once students have rehearsed in their circle
have them come back to large group.
Assessment: I am a HUGE proponent of accountability!

 Often time consuming, but vital!

Small group page rubric quick and easy! (sample)
Larger written theory tests:
-key sigs, scales Major/minor
-intervals
-primary triads
-solfege in any key
-counting rhythms varying meters rhythm syllables
and counting numerically.
-tempos and articulation
Sight reading Materials:
-Experiencing Choral Music Sight-Singing (proficient and
advanced) Hal Leonard
-Essential Musicianship Books 1,2 & 3 Crocker and Leavitt
-Interactive Now Levels 1-9 by Debbie Anderson and Phyllis
Thomas (For Smart Boards and Promethean Boards)
-Sing at First Sight Level 1 & 2 Alfred Publishing
-Berklee Music Theory Books 1& 2 Hal Leonard
-Thirty Days To music theory, intervals, rhythm, melody (each a
different book) Hal Leonard
-Successful Sight Singing by Nancy Telfer
-The Sight Singer by Audrey Snyder Belwin, Inc.
-The Jenson Sight Singing Course Jenson publications
-31 Bach Chorales for Sight Singing Hal Leonard