their students in order to reinforce music reading skills. Error Detection and Aural Dictation Activities


Unfortunately many music students’ first experiences with error detection and aural dictation activities occur at the university level. Providing these experiences at the second- ary level will give students an opportunity to train their ears while reinforcing music reading. Gradual incorporation of these activities will enable students to become more critical listeners able to make distinctions and connections between the sounds heard and what is written on the printed page. Tis will also help prepare uncertain singers to sight-sing ef- fectively. Additionally this exposure can help students detect errors within the performance of their concert music.


Tese activities can begin as short, isolated examples used to build on sequential music theory concepts learned by the students. Once students are guided through this process, the teacher can build longer, more rhythmically, melodically or harmonically challenging excerpts. Implementing these aural activities within the choral class- room will enhance students’ ability to discriminate between sounds as well as foster music literacy.


Composition


Music composition is not an activity reserved for only the most sophisticated and well-trained musicians. Unfortu- nately students in traditional performances-based music classes seldom engage in the compositional process. Due to time constrains, a lack of training and materials, and discomfort, few secondary music teachers incorporate com- position in their classrooms. Guided composition, however, enables students to advance music literacy through creative and notational skills. Compositional activities can begin on a small scale with very limited parameters eventually build- ing into more complex works of art. Consider starting with the construction of a simple ostinato used to accompany a common warm up used in class.


Students can move toward longer more complicated en- deavors such as writing variations on a common musical theme or rewriting a tune in a different style. Tese activi- ties can be woven into the curriculum throughout the year, either as short assignments or culminating projects at the end of the semester. By mixing singing, listening, and com- positional activities into the rehearsal setting, students are presented with multiple ways of knowing music. Tese ex- periences, while providing a greater depth of understanding of the musical art form also reinforce music reading skills.


In summary, vocal music teachers should consider using multiple approaches and experiences to reinforce music


Brophy, T. S. (1996). Building music literacy with guided composition. Music Educators Journal, 83(3), 15-18.


Crowe, D. R. (1996). Effects of score study style on begin- ning conductors’ error-detection abilities. Journal of Research in Music Education, 44(2), 160-171.


Fine, P. A., Goldemberg, R., Wise, K. J., & Bravo, A. (2015). Performing musicians’ understanding of the terms “mental practice” and “score analysis”. Psychomusicol- ogy: Music, Mind, and Brain, (25)1, 69-82.


Gudmundsdottir, H. G. (2010). Advances in music-reading research. Music Education Research, 12(4), 331-338.


Hill, P. G. (2009). Music literacy among adults in church choirs. Te Choral Journal, 50(5). 12-21.


Kaschub, M. (1997). Composition in the choral rehearsal. Music Educators Journal, 84(1), 28-33.


Killian, J. N. (1991). Te relationship between sight singing accuracy and error detection in junior high singers. Journal of Research in Music Education. 39(3), 216- 224.


Levi, R. (1989). Towards an expanded view of musical liter- acy. Contributions to Music Education, 16(1), 34-49.


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reading. Te National Standards for Arts Education es- tablishes “reading and notating music” as a content area standard to be addressed by all music educators. Activities involving sight-reading, error detection, aural dictation, and composition will reinforce and build upon music theory concepts that foster music literacy. Specific activities target- ing middle school or first year singers are included within this author’s culminating Masters Project.


As music educators we strive to develop active, self-re- liant skilled musicians who participate in music beyond the school day. Allocated, consistent time in music litera- cy instruction will afford the students the opportunity to explore music as a lifelong pursuit while deepening their confidence, engagement, and proficiency in music.


References


Armstrong, M. (2001). Adjudicated sight-reading for the choral ensemble: An incentive for music literacy. Cho- ral Journal, 41(10), 21-30.


Bennett, P. (1984). Tricks, masks and camouflage: Is im- itation passing for music reading? Music Educators Journal, 71(3), 62-63, 65-69.


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