tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post2050131412806967712..comments2023-08-06T05:22:33.610-07:00Comments on Richard Sparks - Music, Conducting, Choirs: Teaching musicianshipRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14910774133392443899noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post-37895229142327419012008-02-27T16:17:00.000-08:002008-02-27T16:17:00.000-08:00I'm a physicist by training and never took a music...I'm a physicist by training and never took a music theory class in my life. All the musicianship I learned was through ensemble work. I learned the basics of reading music as a kid in band, and then learned to sight read as an adult in choir. Never learned solfege (still stumble over my do-re-mis). <BR/>I learned the hard way, like Richard. <BR/><BR/><BR/>I cant say for sure, but I think that I did a pretty good job learning. I now sing with ensembles where one basically needs to be able to sight read renaissance music perfectly in different modes, and also lots of "fresh ink" groups where the music is non-intuitive. I do lots of time for the latter in front of the synthesizer, and sometimes, the only way to learn a line is to learn it by rote (if its incredibly atonal and the other parts hider as opposed to help). I am less 'fluent' in a genre if it has been a while since singing it (not sure how well I would do with Late Romantic, highly chromatic music these days)<BR/><BR/>Still, the big secret to hide from my grad school choral conductor is that the only reason why I could "sight read" the "domine deus" in the Faure requiem at my audition was that I happened to love the piece so much, I had that opening memorized! I had no clue what the intervals were on the page! Ten years later, I'm singing the Hindemith Mass...Celeste Winanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05001942118903647741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post-88897179029376489732008-02-13T15:30:00.000-08:002008-02-13T15:30:00.000-08:00from the Podium said:"ACK - Modus Novus! I've just...from the Podium said:<BR/>"ACK - Modus Novus! I've just had a horrible flashback to my undergraduate years!"<BR/><BR/>Yeah, I know! However, it's the best approach I know for doing music that isn't tonally based and where one has to read by interval--unless, of course, you're in an ensemble that DOES that kind of music on a regular basis.<BR/><BR/>Yes, I also should have said that the keyboard is a GREAT help, especially for the conductor since he/she has to hear vertically (harmonically) as well as linearly.<BR/><BR/>Your early background is an ideal one for a singer or conductor.<BR/><BR/>I've occasionally had singers with good voices audition for me who simply don't have the reading skill to survive in one of my groups--in that case, I often recommend joining a good church choir that covers lots of repertoire--again, the old Nike catch-phrase applies here: Just do it!<BR/><BR/>RichardRichardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14910774133392443899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post-46818669117584547482008-02-13T12:49:00.000-08:002008-02-13T12:49:00.000-08:00ACK - Modus Novus! I've just had a horrible flash...ACK - Modus Novus! I've just had a horrible flashback to my undergraduate years!<BR/><BR/>All kidding aside - I couldn't agree with you more on this post - sight reading is something that CAN be learned. For some people, it is the most frustrating thing in the world, but perseverance will eventually win. Singing in parts (all parts) and singing new music OFTEN is key. Like you say - it's the "real world" that teaches the best.<BR/><BR/>I was a very lucky young musician who was exposed to a wide variety of choral music from a very young age, singing Messiah, the coronation anthems, Haydn and Mozart Masses etc from about age 11 - plus a steady stream of Anglican liturgical music which was thrown at us every week. ONE of the many advantages of being involved in an all male Cathedral Choir Music School.<BR/><BR/>Two things I would like to add to this is the importance of keyboard skills, and teaching your instrument. I had my first piano student at the age of 15. Nothing will improve your ear more than if you take an active role in "listening" - as a teacher, you can't get away without it.John Broughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10836876751710988224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post-71013667640685330242008-02-11T01:26:00.000-08:002008-02-11T01:26:00.000-08:00Hi Alan,Good for you for taking the initiative to ...Hi Alan,<BR/><BR/>Good for you for taking the initiative to do more. I don't know if you can convince several of your friends to join you (who read at a similar level), but if you can get a group together, read the Bach Chorales that way. You can read each several times, switching parts (if the females in the groups are also potential conductors, it will be good for them to learn to read the bass part).<BR/><BR/>I don't know what sightreading books you have, but if you're interested in reading music that doesn't have a tonal base, Lars Edlund's "Modus Novus" is a classic text, with enough to challenge you for some time.<BR/><BR/>And I'd say, overall, that sightreading books are good, but reading music in context (with other singers) will pay big benefits (again, it's more "real world," it's what you do as a musician).<BR/><BR/>Good luck with all of this!<BR/><BR/>RichardRichardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14910774133392443899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5244014424535464612.post-22212523680621424382008-02-10T20:26:00.000-08:002008-02-10T20:26:00.000-08:00These techniques are great, and I have been wishin...These techniques are great, and I have been wishing that my ear training classes would do a similiar technique. Right now in the ear-training class when we have a midterm or final coming up, two weeks before the test the teacher gives us three melodies to practice, and when we get to the test the teacher chooses at random one of the three. This way does not even invovle sightreading really, because we have practice the melodies for two weeks.<BR/><BR/>So to counter the class I bought a sightreading book (actually several different ones) and some bach chorales and I randomly sing through two melodies per-day(only once through) no matter what the mistakes.Alan Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06715398661713869754noreply@blogger.com