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From:  "Hanna Graeffe" <hanna.graeffe@h...>
"Hanna Graeffe" <hanna.graeffe@h...>
Date:  Thu May 10, 2001  12:30 pm
Subject:  Re: reading skills or rather a lack thereof.........



Date: Wed, 09 May 2001 23:58:01 -0400
From: Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
From: Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>

"Also, next time, put the words on a card and trust yourself
on the notes and rhythms you've learned the way you know
works for you. They'll be so impressed that you learned it
so fast and can sing it without the music in front of you,
that they'll overlook a mistake or two."

But what would the work in the choir be like if you ended up there
without the necessary reading skills? Ofcourse, it depends on the
choir, but I can't think of a good choir where you aren't required to
learn fast. How would it feel like to stand among the other singers,
get the music, and not be able to sing, because you haven't had a
chance to practice it alone with a help of a piano or a recording? I
don't think such a singer would last long.

I think sight-reading is a very much needed quality, if you intend to
do music professionally or otherwise seriously. I personally find it
strange that it is even questioned, as it is such a basic skill. It
doesn't have to distract you from having a full command of your
instrument (voice) or concentrating in the interpretation. It doesn't
make the learning any slower, on the contrary!

Hanna G
hanna.graeffe@h...
www.lumenvalo.fi (vocal ensemble)








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