Dr. Carol Krueger

The purpose of this experiential workshop is to explore the purpose, process and pedagogy of developing independent, literate musicians. Helping students become musically literate is central to the school, community, and church music curriculum. While there is much agreement about why we should teach sight singing and musicianship skills, there is less agreement about how we should teach those skills. Far too often students are taught to be savvy symbol decoders rather than independent literate musicians.

Working from the premise that students learn musical skills in much the same order as they do language skills, participants will explore how we 'learn' music through hearing and imitating patterns before reading (translating notation into sound) and writing (translating sound into notation). The pedagogy also includes a sequence of instruction that results in a strong link between sound and notation.

The TAKADIMI rhythm-pedagogy system, a beat-oriented system whose originators see it as evolving from Gordon's syllables, will be incorporated. The rhythm syllables can easily be adapted to elementary through adult choral and instrumental rehearsals in the church and K-Collegiate setting.

To aid the development of aural-oral tonal skills, the moveable do and la minor tonal system will be incorporated. In addition, a sequence of vocal pitch exercises will be presented in a graphic form to further aid in the acquisition of tonal skills.

Music educators will learn practical and positive ideas and techniques for cultivating music reading, audiation, improvisation, dictation, elementary composition, musical memory and aural skills. Participants will explore how we 'learn' music, be given specific techniques for developing reading readiness and tonal, rhythmic and melodic literacy, and be presented with teaching strategies and techniques for integrating and applying reading skills to choral literature. Music teachers at all levels will find this workshop highly beneficial for their students and for their own teaching.