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! Working primarily with notated vocal music, we'll explore melodies and excerpts from solo and choral repertoire spanning historical periods, genres, and musical styles. Through listening, score study, and plenty of singing, we’ll develop pitch recognition, rhythmic fluency, tonal memory, and interval awareness while strengthening the connection between eye, ear, and voice. Our focus is on building the musical independence to encounter an unfamiliar score and turn what we see on the page into music we can hear, understand, and sing in real time.
All work happens in class; just show up ready to read, sing, and give it a go. Basic familiarity with musical notation is expected, but sight-singing proficiency certainly isn't! This is a space where wrong notes are useful, and trying again is the whole point. Bring some snacks and come prepared 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
You don’t need to already be a confident sight-singer to join us—that’s what we’re here to practice! However, this class is best suited to students who already have some familiarity with the basics of reading music, including notes, rhythms, key and time signatures, scales, and accidentals. Previous experience with music theory, ear training, or singing in a choir where you learned from sheet music is helpful.
Interested? Email Virginia Kelsey with a short paragraph sharing a little about your musical background and experience reading music. No audition required!
Please contact the faculty member : virginiakelsey@bennington.edu