Sightreading Instruction Period thoughts for Directors

“I teach fundamental skills because there are no advanced skills. There are simply advanced situations that require strong fundamentals”.

Be calm, speak strongly, use a counting system. Sing during the summary period even if you have a horrible voice!

If possible, attend a full day of SR contest to simply watch. Take notes….assign your own ratings and later see how it matched with the panel.

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Stress the following to the students:

1. Enter quietly and professionally
2. Only asked questions if offered the opportunity.
3. Truly check the music when told to do so by the judge. You must have the correct part.
4. Be attentive, maintain posture, finger during instruction time. Touch problem measures etc.
5. Tell them exactly what your warmup will be at the end of the instruction period. Long tone concert F, whole note scale or short chorale. When you practice sightreading in class, always do that assigned warmup at the end of your explanation period. Leave no doubt in the students minds about procedure. Even more important for middle school bands.

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You will have three minutes to study the score before you address the band. You can’t write on the score. Use a notepad and write down a checklist of what you are going to say to the group. Location of accidentals, tricky parts and unusual melody placement (alto sax with low brass have the melody together at measure 20).

Make sure to have another staff member “seat” the band while you are in score study. If you are the only director ask a trusted parent or even a mature drum major to seat the band (with prior coaching). During your score study the judges will oversee passing out parts, welcoming the students and introducing the panel of judges.

Tell the timer when to give you updates during the band instruction process. I have the timer announce by the minute……3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute etc. for each period.

Assign percussion parts and first/second wind parts before the day of contest! Don’t waste time in the room. Timpani is an unusual situation. They are the only ones that can make sound on their instrument before the explanation periods. The pitches will be told to them by a judge when you are in the three minute score study. They will usually be written on the board as well. It is ok for a director to tune the timp if needed.

Perform slow tempos a little faster and fast tempos a little slower!

Right before you start your explanation periods
A judge will ask you three questions in front of the band.
1. This organization will be reading (title of selection) which has been chosen for conference _____ (varsity or non-varsity groups). Is this the correct conference for your organization?
2. Has this organization or any of its student members heard, read, rehearsed or performed this selection (indicating the music) at any time prior to this evaluation?
3. Would you like the rules read to your band? If yes (judges hate this!), they will then have to read a long set of instructions. If No (judges love this)…..the judge will say “your timing will begin when your conductor asks you to turn over the music or when he/she opens his/her score. Make sure your students know the rules before contest!


GENERAL EXPLANATION PERIOD

Your timing starts when you open your score or ask them to turn their music face up on the stand. Tell them to take a deep breath and slowly release it….then say “turn over your music”.

Give the students the first 30 seconds to study without you talking. After their 30 second study period, explain overall items. Key, key changes, meter, meter changes, how transitions will be conducted and tempo for each section of the piece.

Start at the beginning of the piece. Remember you are now in the general explanation period. Snap fingers or tap stand to give tempo. Have them finger through at your tempo and have them listen to your comments while they finger. Mention dynamics, accidentals, melody instruments during this portion of your time. You can’t sing or count during the general explanation. You can explain fermatas, conducting etc.


SUMMARY EXPLANATION PERIOD

At the end of the previous period, the timer will say “Stop, your general explanation period is over. You may now begin your summary explanation”. You must stop speaking when they say stop and then continue after they say “summary explanation”. Don’t go back to the beginning when you start this period. Plow forward. Once you reach the end, then go back to the beginning. Spend time on the transitions….this is where most mistakes in reading happen. During this period you can sing, count rhythms out load and sing with dynamics.

Students can’t play, sing, count or reproduce the music. They can listen, finger, count silently and pay attention. They have the same rules during both periods. Only your rules change.

At the one minute announcement stop and review tempo, beginning, ending and all transition points.

If you’re brave, ask for questions…I never do because I’m afraid of what they will ask!

During the performance

Don’t over conduct, stay calm, don’t use your voice to give any instruction. Make eye contact and be decisive.

At the end of the performance

Tell the band you appreciate all their hard work this semester. Tell them you are proud of them. Tell them to put the SR music back in the SR folder, take all our belongings and go the the bus/equipment trailer.