Samantha Ragusin

MUSE 258/Voice Techniques

Citation
Sound Connections, Chapter 1
Don Ester 2010

Summary Outline
Music literacy is defined as the ability to translate notation into vocal sound and sound
into notation. As a result, music literacy involves both reading and notating. Its roots
stretch back to colonial times and Lowell Mason’s influence in the early 1800s. As time
went on, however, the emphasis changed from literacy skills to performance practice. In
the 1960s, a movement took place that intended to once again balance literacy and
performance, called Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP). This is
the basis for the 1994 National Standards for Arts Education. Research has proven that
the ability to connect music making with reading and notating creates musical
understanding. Despite this, however, our nation’s students are largely musically
illiterate. The Sound Connections approach offers a solution to the discontinuity and
provides quick, step-by-step instruction in music literacy. It is important that our nation’s
music educators come to a consensus on the various pedagogies and approaches used
to teach music literacy to ensure a musically literate generation of music makers.

Discussion
My own experiences with education’s current failings in music literacy are described in
this chapter. I received very little literacy training in my school career. As a result, my
sight reading and auditing abilities came from my piano lessons and interactions with my
music educator parents. Upon being introduced into All-State ensembles, I came to the
realization that I was dreadfully behind my peers from other school systems when it
came to vocal sight reading abilities. Because of this, I will attest that music literacy in
children is of the utmost importance. Elementary general music is a place full of
exploration, self-expression, and learning, which is why it is important that students learn
how to express themselves in all forms. I hope to one day teach elementary general
music, and I cannot imagine a better way to allow my students the creative freedom they
deserve than teaching them how to read, write, and hear music. While some music
educators claim that music literacy is one of the toughest subjects to teach, the Sound
Connections approach highlights a simple, efficient way of allowing students to bridge
sound and sight. Students in the elementary general music classroom are already
hearing and creating music; as a result, adding the visual aspect is naturally the next
step. Young students love to sing. Echo songs are already common for this age group,
so the ability to echo solfege should not be too challenging. If music literacy material is
presented in a way that is age and pace-appropriate, there is no reason why young
students shouldn’t be well on their way towards music literacy. Furthermore, it is
imperative that elementary music educators do their best to prepare their students for
potential further music training. My experience moving into instrumental and vocal
ensembles in junior high was that we did not have the literacy skills necessary to play
our instruments. As a result, the first six weeks of each were a crash course on reading,
notating, and hearing music accurately. If music literacy is taught when it should be, then
we are creating students that are more prepared for success in the world of music.