Sight-Singing Party!
Course Description
Summary
Sight-Singing Party! is a low-stakes, high-participation class built on one simple idea: the only way to learn how to sight-sing is to do it ... a lot. So we will. Expect to sing constantly, jump in before you feel ready, make glorious mistakes, laugh hard, recover, and keep going.
We’ll build the core skills of sight-singing—reading sheet music and singing it on sight—through excerpts from choral and vocal repertoire across styles. Along the way, we’ll develop pitch recognition, rhythm, tonal memory, and interval awareness while strengthening the connection between the eye, ear, and voice as a single, responsive system.
All work will be done in-class; just show up prepared to read. This is a space where wrong notes are useful, hesitation has no place, and trying again is the whole point. So bring some snacks and come ready to sing, laugh, and get a little messy ... it is a party, after all!
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate increased fluency in reading Western notation and applied musicianship skills
- Strengthen coordination between the eye, ear, and voice
- Increased listening skills and musical awareness
Prerequisites
This course is easy access, but is not for true beginners; students in this class will need some prior experience with Western musical notation. You'll need to know at least the basics, such as the notes on the staff and their relationships to each other, as well as rhythms, key signatures, time signatures, scales, and accidentals. Previous experience with theory and especially ear-training courses is a huge advantage here, as is experience in choral settings where you learned from sheet music. Interested? Email Virginia Kelsey with a brief paragraph about your musical background and your experience reading notation—no audition required.
Please contact the faculty member : virginiakelsey@bennington.edu