WEEK 8
TOPIC: SIGHT READING SINGING
Sight-reading is the reading and performing of a piece of music or song in music notation that the performer has not seen before.
Sight-singing is used to describe a singer who is sight-reading. Both activities require the musician to play or sing the notated rhythms and pitches. Many believe that sight-singing is the more challenging of the two, because singers do not have any keys, frets or valves (on keyboard instruments, guitars, and valved brass instruments, respectively) to help them obtain the correct pitches. Singers must also read and sing the correct lyrics, which adds another layer beyond pitch and dynamics. However, difficulty is related both to the instrument and the difficulty of the piece itself. For instance, sight-reading on a polyphonic instrument, such as the classical guitar, can be more challenging due to the fact that the guitarist has to read polyrhythms and polyphonic passages that can often be played in different positions using different frets.
Sight-reading
People in music literature commonly use the term “sight-reading” generically for “the ability to read and produce both instrumental and vocal music at first sight […] the conversion of musical information from sight to sound”.
Udtaisuk and some other authors prefer the use of the more specific terms “sight-playing” and “sight-singing” where applicable. This differentiation leaves a third, more restricted use of the term “sight-reading” for the silent reading of music without creating sound by instrument or voice.
Highly skilled musicians can sight-read silently; that is, they can look at the printed music and hear it in their heads without playing or singing. Less able sight-readers generally must at least hum or whistle in order to sight-read effectively. This distinction is analogous to ordinary prose reading during the early Middle Ages, when the ability to read silently was notable enough for St. Augustine to comment on it. Franz Liszt was famous for his capacity to play advanced piano pieces sight-reading the notes.
The term a prima vista is also used, as Italian words and phrases are commonly used in music and music notation. To play a musical piece a prima vista means to play it ‘at first sight’. According to Payne, “the ability to hear the notes on the page is clearly akin to music reading and should be considered a prerequisite for effective performance…. Egregious errors can occur when a student, analyzing a piece of music, makes no effort to play or hear the composition but mechanically processes the notes on the page”.
The ability to sight-read is important for all musicians, even amateur performers, but with professional orchestra musicians and session musicians, it is an essential professional skill. Some professional orchestras ask prospective candidates for positions to sight-read orchestral parts.
Sight transposition
Some musicians can transpose music during performance to suit particular instruments or vocal ranges, to make the playing of the instrument(s) or singing easier, or a number of other uses.
Sight-playing
According to Udtaisuk, “many [authors] use the term sight-playing for instrumental sight-reading performance.” However, Udtaisuk and some other authors use the more descriptive term “sightplaying” (or “sight-playing”) for instrumental sight-reading, because sight-playing combines two unique skill sets: music reading and music making.
Sight-singing
Some authors, according to Udtaisuk, use the term “sight-singing” for vocal sight-reading. As with sight-playing, Udtaisuk advocates and uses the more descriptive term “sightsinging” for vocal sight-reading because sight-singing combines sight-reading and singing skills.
WEEK 9
TOPIC: OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREER DRAMATISTS.
Drama as a Source of Job Creation Nigeria is a country that has many rural areas. Many of these rural areas have no electricity therefore, recreational facilities are often in scarce supply. Thus, many people (adults and youths) tend to gather in groups under trees, in sheds, or on verandas to while away the time in conversations. Entertainment in most rural areas occur during festivals and ceremonies such as new yam festival, initiation ceremony, wedding, naming, Christmas, Sallah and other religious festivals. The boredom experienced in rural areas should galvanize dramatic performance for the steady entertainment of the people all year round. In other words, in Nigeria as a developing country, it is the social responsibility of the government to provide jobs for the citizenry as well as recreational facilities for their relaxation. These are an obligation that every responsible and responsive government should think of carrying out. The government should make life comfortable for the people and be concerned with their welfare. Through theatre, the government can empower youths and improve their standard of living. According to Cohen (2003), “Theatre is a principal occupation of its practitioners. It is a vocation for professional and an avocation for amateurs, yet in either case theatre is work”. Drama is a companion term of theatre which means something is done, an action is witnessed (Cohen, 2003). Drama can provide an occupation for the unemployed youths in Nigeria. To use drama as a source of job creation in Nigeria, all the three tiers of government should be involved. That is the federal government, the state and the local government. The ministry of youths, sports and culture can shoulder this responsibility effectively. Each local government of the federation should be made to establish at least three (3) dramatic troupes. Each troupe will have a number of actors and actresses. The troupes should perform at different public arenas in the local government on rotational basis to avoid monotony of contact between the audience, and actors and actresses. The themes of the performance should be varied to also avoid monotony and redundancy. This will sustain the interest of the audience in the performances. In the rural and urban areas, there are public buildings such as town halls and school assembly halls that can be used for the performances. Or in Peter Book’s term an empty space. The ancient Greek Theatron was probably nothing but a flat circle where performer chanted and danced before a hillside of seated spectators (Cohen 2003). Cohen goes ahead to say that “the minimal requirement for a theatre building is nothing but a place to act and a place to watch.” So, a modest structure with stage, seats and scenery construction will serve the purpose of this dramatic presentation project. In all the arenas, affordable gate fees should be charged. The fees can vary depending on the theme of the drama. Through dramatic performance, the people can be enlightened on government programs, policies, and activities. These can bring about national development and enhance nation building. People’s lives can be changed positively. This project can introduce dynamism into lives in the rural areas. Because as noted by Barranger (2002), the “seeing place or E-ISSN 2281-4612 ISSN 2281-3993 Academic Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies MCSER Publishing, Rome-Italy Vol 4 No 3 November 2015 81 theatre is where we are entertained and learn about ourselves and others. It is the place where we perceive the how, the what and the way of our humanness in company of others”. Drama entertains and educates, and transforms the society positively. It brings excitement and makes life enjoyable. Dramatic presentation project will make people like rural communities and will minimize rural urban drift which we experience in Nigeria.