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30DSR Day 28: Celebrate with a Sightreading Gala

Ok, ok. Perhaps a bunch of sightreading doesn’t sound like a celebration to you. But sightreading can actually be really enjoyable, and it’s one of the most essential skills to keep sharp as a music teacher.

30DSR Day 28 Sightreading challenge

Sightread a whole book to up your sightreading skills

Our students should be seeing us play regularly. They need to model technique, musicality and artistry after us in order to develop their own.

We can’t know all the music that all our students are playing that thoroughly, so most of the time this means we sightread. Not just play through at sight, but sightread with confidence and conviction.

We’re almost to the end of the 30 Day Studio Refresh. I couldn’t let you go without one sightreading task so today I want you to sightread a whole book. The book you choose is completely up to you.

You might be up for a big challenge, or prefer a little bit of light reading. There’s no judgements here so if you want to go for an elementary book that you’ve been meaning to explore that’s totally fine. Use this challenge to explore books you have lying around.

I know I always have a pile of new repertoire books I want to look through.

(Sometimes a very, very large pile.)

No matter what book you choose I want you to give each performance everything you’ve got. Just this little shift in mindset from sightreading practice to sightreading performance can make a huge impact on how you play. I find my sightreading actually improves more quickly when I try to perform each piece.

Action Steps

  • Pick your book – at whatever level.
  • Play through the whole book either in one go or in little chunks throughout the day.
  • Make sure to give each pieces everything you’ve got. Imagine an audience of eager young students watching you play.

What book did you choose for your sightreading gala?

I’d love to hear the many and varied selection over in the Vibrant Music Teaching Studio Facebook group or in the comments below.

And try to enjoy your sightreading challenge today, only two more challenges to go.

Vibrant Music Teaching members, you can access this resource inside the VMT library. Not a member yet? Find out more about becoming a member here.

Did you miss any of the posts in the 30 Day Studio Refresh? Check them out by clicking here.

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