April 18th, 2009 10:46 pm
Ryan B asked:
I’m a junior in High School and I’m pretty sure this is what I want to do. I know a little bit of piano and am currently getting lessons. How much do I need to be able to play if I want to be a Choral Music Education Major in college?
common folk tales
I’m a junior in High School and I’m pretty sure this is what I want to do. I know a little bit of piano and am currently getting lessons. How much do I need to be able to play if I want to be a Choral Music Education Major in college?
common folk tales
Tags: Choral Music Education, Education College, Folk Tales, Little Bit, Music College, Piano
April 21, 2009 at 10:15 pm
You won’t have to learn enough to do a primary or secondary concentration in it, in order to graduate. However, you would do well to keep up with your piano skills because you WILL be using them as a choral director. The more familiar you are with the piano, the easier your life will be.
April 25, 2009 at 9:02 am
You will want to be proficient in the following skills:
sight reading
sight reading in 4-part open-score (while dropping the tenor down an octave)
transposition of an accompaniment
ability to improvise an accompaniment with chord symbols
general piano skills: scales, chords, arpeggios, etc.
Good luck!
April 26, 2009 at 2:55 pm
I have to agree – as much as possible would be an even better idea.
In college you’ll have to take up to 4 semesters of piano, and pass a proficiency exam. Typically, you’ll need to perform at the level of the easier Bach 2-Part Inventions and the Clementi Sonatinas. You’ll likely have to harmonize at sight a simple melody, and sightread a choral/hymn. It is not uncommon for there to be an accompanying portion, where you will be expected to perform the accompaniment to a fairly simple vocal solo or choral piece.
Odds are that especially at your first job you’ll have no accompanist, or a part-time one at best. You’ll have to do it yourself, and the kids will be counting on you. Learn as much piano as you can; you’ll never regret it once you’re teaching.
April 29, 2009 at 9:14 am
It depends the requirements of the university you attend.
My school, a medium-sized private university in a large city, required all music ed majors (both choral and instrumental) to pass “piano proficiency” which consisted of the following:
1. (A) Perform two pieces of a level comparable to the following: Clementi or Kuhlau sonatinas; Schumann, Album For the Young. Passing marks will be given only for performances which show careful preparation and which exhibit correct notes, rhythms, dynamics, phrasing, etc.
OR
(B) Vocal or instrumental majors may perform the piano accompaniment for two songs or instrumental pieces appropriate to the student’s particular track instead of the piano solo requirement as stated above. (Example: Widmung by R. Franz for vocalists, or a Baroque flute sonata movement for instrumentalists). Performance criteria is the same as in (A) above.
2. Read at sight a composition of intermediate difficulty at a moderate tempo. A polished interpretation is not expected; however, performers must exhibit the ability to keep going with a minimum of incorrect notes or rhythms.
3. Harmonize two tonal melodies (one major and one minor key) with a maximum of three sharps or three flats, the key signature using at least three different harmonic functions and appropriate accompaniment styles.
4. Be able to play all major and harmonic minor scales, two octaves at a moderate tempo using correct fingering. Playing the scales hands separately will be allowed.
5. Be able to play all major and minor triads and their inversions with both hands together at a moderate tempo.
6. Perform a simple piece, transposing it from its notated key to a new given key, not more than a major third up or down, common keys only.
7. Perform specified chord progressions or cadential formulas in various keys in a way which demonstrates fluency in connecting the given harmonic functions.
So you need to be able to demonstrate both piano skills as well as music theory/harmonic skills. (I graduated in 2006, fairly recently — the requirements are the same now as they were then.)