New! Sight-Singing Materials for Your Choir Thursday, October 30, 2014
Let’s be honest, there is no perfect sight-singing resource for everyone. Educational philosophies, students’ prior music education, ability level and teacher comfort all play a part when you choose your materials. Here are two new sight-singing resources that we hope many teachers will find helpful.
Sing at First Sight…More Melodies! – By Andy Beck and Brian Lewis
Andy Beck’s Sing at First Sight books are used by many choral teachers as their sight-singing “textbook.” This is a supplemental book that gives more practice for reading rhythms and melodies at all levels, and is useful regardless of whether or not you use Sing at First Sight as your primary text. An included CD has reproducible PDF files for every page in the book, so you won’t have to spend your whole music budget on new sight-singing materials. The easiest exercises begin with quarter notes on do and re only, and progress to include all key signatures, compound meter, and rhythms including dotted 8th/16th notes.
Book w/ CD (42793)……………………………………………………….$39.99
SOS: Simplify Our Sight-Reading – By Laura Farnell & Mary Jane Phillips
Acclaimed choral composer and educator Laura Farnell has partnered with Mary Jane Phillips to create a new system for teaching sight singing. SOS (Simplifying Our Sight Reading,) is based on the premise that students will comprehend sight singing better if they are exposed to one element at a time. The authors separate pitch, rhythm, and notation before moving on to unison, 2 part and 3 part melodies. An excellent supplement to the directors resource are the flash cards for both Bass and Treble Clef. Large enough to be read by the entire choir at once, each shows one measure and can be combined with the other cards for a nearly endless number of exercises.
Director’s Resource (BLB009)…………………………………………………………….$9.99
Rhythm Reader (BL836)……………………………………………………………………$1.95
Flash Cards for Treble Clef (BLB010)……………………………………………………$19.99 Flash Cards for Bass Clef (BLB011)……………………………………………………….$19.99
For more recommendations of sight reading materials, give us a call at 1-800-42-MUSIC, check out our website, or visit us to browse in our store. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
