Spring is a time of renewal and refreshing, and I am so glad it is upon us! On the other hand, for us, it is also a time of exhaustion with so many events upon us at the same time. In Kitsap, we just wrapped up our Music Artistry Program and Performance Competitions, and now it is full steam ahead to our Music Literacy Program and end of the year events! Although April usually begins with Spring Break, for me it usually begins with all of my last-minute preparations for our Carnival/MLP event. I’ll be giving my students their theory practice tests, going over corrections with them, giving them their two practice sight reading exams (you can find your own examples for free in a different teaching curriculum than you use for lessons, or you can purchase Wendy Stevens’ perfectly leveled practice exams at composecreate.com), and running them through all of their strategies for the day. Let me give you a little sneak peek into what that looks like!
Suzie Q (Mary Grant’s favorite pretend student) is taking level 4 technique for piano, so I will have her memorize “SRICA” (Scales, Roots, Inversions, Cadences and Arpeggios), and she’ll play two sets (one each of her prepared major and minor scales) for two separate weeks prior to our event. She is taking level 5 rhythm, so I’ll have her clap two rhythms for me every 3 weeks or so (I started this back in November), and we’ll talk about how she can take her test back to her seat and quietly practice it before her test. She is taking level 4 theory, so she took her practice test, and we walked through what she messed up, and how to figure out key signatures etc… She is taking level 4 Sight Reading, so we did one practice test a month ago, and the second one two weeks prior to the event. We walked through exactly how to prepare her best for the test: sit down, tap and count it, play through each hand on her lap (paying special attention to the key signature and any accidentals), then play through the whole thing on her lap. We discussed exactly how she’ll be graded, with a half point off for any pauses or wrong notes, and how dynamics and touches are extra credit. She is taking level 6 Ear Training, so we have done extensive practice on interval recognition, I’ve made up a few rhythmic dictation examples that she has rocked, as well as a couple of melodic dictations for her to practice.
In addition to her 5 main exams, Suzie will also be writing a short composer report, making a lovely cake decorated like sheet music, performing her recital piece and playing many fun games in the gym.
Now, all of these offerings depend on your chapter. Perhaps this year your chapter is just dipping their toes into the MLP and offering theory. Fantastic! Or perhaps your chapter does the whole shebang, and you are individually dipping your toe into just the rhythm test. Fabulous! However you choose to integrate the MLP into your teaching, I am here to support you. If our goal is for every student to gain Music Literacy, then these exams are an invaluable tool in helping us reach that goal. Happy Teaching!