Each Monday evening at 8PM EST, music teachers get together and share ideas about important topics within music education. It’s a great chance to interact directly with educators from all over the world and to get new tips and tricks to help you succeed in the classroom. The entire #musedchat discussion is organized and moderated by Joe Guarr.
I sometimes sit in with our wind ensemble at commencements. Once, they made me sight read Ride and Morning Star back to back. That was...difficult. #musedchat
A2: I want them to have the ability to rhythmically solve anything that they see, be able to follow a musical road map, active listening skills to stay together, and be to be able to watch the conductor. #musedchat
A2: Pattern recognition is huge. Fun watching things click when you point out "Oh, hey, that's just the first five pitches in D major" or something like that #musedchat
Very true. All too often the main problem that occurs is getting stuck with tunnel vision and as a result they stop listening to those around them. #musedchat
A3: I always give them a minute or so to study and discuss. Then we ask questions. Who thinks they’re important, what’s the style, etc. Lots of sing/airplay before a full play. #musedchat
A3: In band in HS we used the Yaus 101 Rhythms. In my private lessons I used Develop Sight Reading by Dufresne. I love it because it breaks all the rules--like a half rest on beats 2 and 3. Stuff to make sure you're always thinking. #musedchat
A3: Give them 30 seconds-1 minute to discuss with a neighbor, then go through the work in it's entirety at tempo. I think it's important that students get a holistic and authentic reading in the first time that way they know what to expect in performance #musedchat
#musedchat A3 I started giving them the word to rhythm similarities ie two eighth notes = apple. 2 16ths and 1 8 note = Buttigieg. Also asking them to write out the partials and subpartials
#musedchat I️ do that with pop names. Quarter- sprite 2 eighths- Pepsi 4 sixteenth’s- Dr Pepper eighth/2 sixteenth’s - cream Soda 2 sixteenth’s/eighths - Mountain Dew
A lot of kids, their first sight-reading out-loud on a piece of music is probably their first time actually looking at it anyways (despite what we tell them to do!) #musedchat
#musedchat combines aural skills and reading skills in a way that is fun and engaging for kids. It's also sequenced really well. Students are set up for success which builds confidence.
I break it down on the board to the eighth note and the morph it to the actual rhythm. For the notes that they play I use large numbers or partials. The notes that aren't articulated smaller. I'll talk a pic tomorrow remind me please #musedchat
Q4: How do we best encourage our students to approach sight reading with a growth mindset when so many of us have our own struggles with it? #musedchat
A4: I think it comes down to just doing it a LOT, and making sure to include examples where you know they will be successful and mix it in with slightly more challenging examples along the way. #musedchat
There's a lot of truth in the repetition advice. I didn't feel OK with sight reading until I did it at least once a week. It's a skill in itself. #musedchat
A4: I think it comes down to just doing it a LOT, and making sure to include examples where you know they will be successful and mix it in with slightly more challenging examples along the way. #musedchat
