Sound before sight workshop

Last week I attended the Sound before sight workshop at the University of North Florida. The workshop was led by UNF professor, Dr. Timothy Groulx.

The premise

We teach kids to play instruments in a way that is unnatural. Students get an instrument and a book. We then point out symbols in their books and tell them that those symbols correspond to sounds on their instruments. The foundation to the sound before sight system is that this approach is backwards.

If you need support for this premise, look at the way children learn to speak and read. Children speak before they read. We don’t insist that a child know how to read before they speak. Instead, we encourage their attempts to make sounds and then words. We celebrate the triumph of the sounds of “Mama” or “Dada” and know that reading will come later.

Step one

The first step in the sound before sight system is to develop an awareness of beat. Beat or pulse is the framework on which not only music, but life itself exists. Time ticks by at a consistent 60 bpm and your pulse beats at a steady rate. (If it doesn’t you’ll probably be going to a doctor soon!)

Students must spend time keeping a consistent beat. Have everyone stand in a circle. Give a consistent speed and have everyone begin walking in a circle to their left.

Once everyone is moving, begin clapping on every step. Next, have them clap two times on every step. Then four, or three. Maybe have the students clap on every other step. Go around the circle and have everyone improvise a clap pattern for four beats.

You have begun to teach students how to make music. DO NOT tell them that they are clapping quarter notes or eighth notes. That will come later. Right now, you’re establishing beat and improvised rhythms. Students are learning that the beat stays consistent.

These lessons work very well while you are waiting for everyone to get their instruments.

The basics

Hopefully the students will get their instruments while you are developing beat and putting rhythms on the beat. Once they have their instruments, you’ll need to teach the basics.

Teach posture and instrument assembly. Work on proper breath support and embouchure formation as well as hand position. Reading music won’t matter much if the kids don’t have solid basic technique.

Solfege

You will need to know Solfege in order to move forward. It would also be beneficial if you know Curwen hand signals because the students won’t be able to hear you while they’re playing. Tell the students what they need to do with their hands and face in order to make a sound. You are not going to tell them the name of the note and you are not going to give them music to read.

Start by telling everyone the fingering for concert D. You’re going to call this note “Mi”, not concert D. Before playing the note, have everyone sing the pitch for D, while saying, “Mi”.

Tim has a great deal of detailed information that moves the students forward from here. I highly recommend that you attend his workshop. I’m barely scratching the surface.

Quick summary

Solfege is used instead of note names. This allows the director to get everyone singing the same notes with the same names. Everything starts with audiation and then moves to the instrument. And, everything starts in Bb concert. “Do” is Bb. When you move to a new key, “Do” moves. (Moveable Do)

If this sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend that you attend the workshop. This is an extremely brief introduction to the sound before sight system.

Dr. Groulx worked with us for 3 days on developing the techniques described in this method. He provided detailed materials to each participant. Everyone played on instruments and everyone was given opportunities to teach the concepts that were presented.

There is great benefit to this system and I look forward to implementing it with my beginners.