Out of everything the spring concert season could throw at me, sight-reading intimidated me the most. I suppose it was the uncontrollable aspect of it: what curveballs would come at my students?. Most of this article is intended for the new music educator, but even with my "wrinkles," I learn something every day. Stick around, and I promise at least one laugh.
Having a Plan
I’m a "plan guy". I can tackle the day better with forethought and a to-do list, so this teaching tool came naturally to me. I learned early on that my students succeeded when they had a plan—both as a group and individually. I even solved my toughest behavior cases by having those students help me create a plan.
Sight-reading during concert assessment was no different. As an extra trick, I’d have the students "teach" me how to sight-read using our favorite acronym: STAR. We’ve all used it, but let me give you my specific spin on it:
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S – Signatures: What is our time signature? How many beats per measure (and which note gets the beat)? What about the key signature?
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T – Tempo: Do we have any tempo changes?
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A – Accidentals & Articulations: Be on the lookout for accidentals. Also, check articulations: do we have accents, slurs, or staccato?
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R – Roadmap & Rhythms: Are there any repeats or the dreaded D.S. al Coda? Lastly, look for tougher rhythms, like syncopated patterns.
While that list technically spells "SSTAARR," the main idea was to get my students thinking and speaking in musical terms and analyzing the pieces for these specific elements.
During assessments, I would walk the band through each of these steps and call on students to point out these elements. Judges love to see this engagement, and it kept every student on their toes. We would isolate tough sections by counting them out or "airing" them - whatever technique fit the challenge.
When to Use This
I implemented this strategy every time my group had a piece on their stands that was new to them. I used every appropriate grade of UIL literature I could borrow from friends, along with "Sight Reading Factory" and various exercise books. I highly recommend taking every opportunity to use this in your classroom or lesson studio.
Final Thoughts (and a Story)
Above all else, keep your cool. Students will sense your confidence (or lack thereof) and follow suit, so try to have fun.
One particular moment in the sight-reading room stands out. That session had run seamlessly, and I felt lucky because the key signature was only concert A Flat. Making sure I went over those A Flat with my sometimes-inattentive trombonists, I made eye contact with a student named Logan, who had an A Flat at the end of the piece with a beautiful fermata.
Logan hadn’t managed to get his slide to 3rd position that day. As I cut the fermata short and looked at him with a mix of horror and rage, the poor kid—likely due to a nervous GI system—accidentally broke wind. It was an impromptu "stinger". We had a consoling conversation on the walk to the bus that ended with: "It happens to the best of us, but don’t forget to look back at your key signature".
Have fun with your kids and laugh off the small stuff. And Logan, if you’re reading this: don't forget to look at your key signature.
- Jordan Henry
Educational Representative
St. Louis, MO
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