Standard 3: The teacher of PK-12 music has skills in reading and writing music.

As a musician, and an educator, having the ability to read and write music is crucial to individual
music making, as well as incorporating those skills into the teaching of music students. Music
literacy is a necessity for successful music making in an organized ensemble. In their years
informal music classes, students should be provided with a number of strategies and tools to aid
in their development of music reading and writing. An important aspect of learning and growing
as a musician is being able to read music notation, but also to reproduce that independently

In order to successfully achieve the expectations of the music reading and writing standard,
educators should fluently, and independently read music, and understand how to use their
knowledge and skills in writing music. Reading music is a skill that I have continued to develop
in my years of higher education, and as a professional. Music literacy plays a major factor in
successful musicianship. In the choral music classroom, the use of solfege is crucial in musical
growth. Solfege syllables aid students in a better understanding and practice of singing intervals,
and deciphering pitches and degrees of notes. Solfege is not only important for students to
become better musicians but also allows the teacher to know where the student is
developmentally through periodic checks throughout the music learning process.
My experience with solfege has mostly been in my college years, though it was introduced in
elementary music classes. By participating in higher level choirs, music theory classes, and
choirs in the community, I had the opportunity to broaden my skill of sight reading and writing
music. While in theory classes, we have to write original music with a few basic requirements.
This allowed me to explore a side of music I was unfamiliar with and learn the process of how
music was written at first and then how it is written now. By joining an upper level choir and
being a part of a community choir, I used my classroom knowledge of music practically. As I
moved up in age and experience in the college choir, I was promoted to section leader. This
made me really work on my solfege and sight-reading skills so that I could assess and correct the
section I lead and pushed me further in those areas as a musician.
As an educator, I want to show my students that these skills are not just for the classroom and
that they can be applied to other musical adventures in and about the community. I also want
them to see the practicality of growing these skills not just to hear music but to understand music
from many different angles.