Reading Music 6

(part 6 of 6 from the article Reading Music)

If my student is really good at listening, why should he or she learn to read?

Musical literacy involves both speaking and reading, just like language literacy!  Complex musical concepts and challenging pieces of repertoire are impossible to learn without reading skills.  The ability to read music is an important way for students to access music they have not heard before, or music for which a recording is not available.  Reading music fluently is also essential for developing a talent that is useful for many situations, things like accompanying a soloist, playing with a choral group, or even picking up a book of Christmas carols for a family sing-along.  Reading can also be a motivating force because it opens the door to a huge variety of songs and styles, allowing students to learn “fun” music like popular songs, duets or Disney favorites, along with the prescribed music in the method books.