"I have benefited a lot from your suggestions of repertoire. Could you please suggest some SR material (intermediate)that explores diversity in rhythms?"
Upon receiving the e-mail above, the first thing that came to my mind was a rarely performed set of 10 pieces by Villa-Lobos: Francette et Pia. This set was written in 1929 for the piano class of the celebrated Marguerite Long. This suite mixes Brazilian and French songs and tells the story of a little Brazilian Indian boy (Pia)* and a French girl (Francette). I can't help imagining a recital alternating a boy and a girl performing these solo pieces and at the end, the two kids closing the recital with the final piece called "Francette and Pia Play Together Forever" (it is a duet - 4 hands).
Mixed with the Brazilian folk and indigenous melodies, you will recognize the French national anthem (Marseillaise - #8), Au Clair de la Lune (#1), Le Bon Roi Dogobert (#2) and Malbrouk S'en Va-t-en Guerre (#6).
As expected, Villa-Lobos writes challenging rhythms, but the repetitive patterns through the compositions make this set a good source for sight-reading (there are lots of opportunities for self-correction). Each piece is rich in tempo, meter and key signature changes.
1 - Pia Came to France.. (it opens with an Indian theme).
2 - Pia Saw Francette...
3 - Pia Spoke to Francette...
4 - Pia and Francette Play Together...
5 - Francette is Angry... (the edition I have translates this piece as Francette is sorry, however, the right translation is Francette is angry).
6 - Pia Went to War... (the composer writes "to make kids used to syncopation and exaggerated accents").
7 - Francette is Sad... (it opens with a Brazilian March followed by a French theme).
8 - Pia Returns Form the War...
9 - Francette is Happy... (the composer brings back a variation of previous themes).
10- Francette and Pia Play Together Forever... Four-Hand Duet
Villa-Lobos dedicated a lot of time writing pedagogical music exploring Brazilian children's folk tunes. My favorite set is the Cirandinhas (it is extraordinary!). There is also Guia Pratico (11 sets of 6 pieces in each), Carnaval das Criancas Brasileiras, The 3 Marias, Petizada, The Broken Little Music Box, and The Toy Wheel.
* Pia means a little boy of Indian descent. In Tupi-Guarany, it is an expression of affection like "dear boy". Today in Rio Grande do Sul (south Brazil), we call all boys "pia".
Guarany is an indigenous language in South America.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
The Role of Cognitive Skills and Sight-Reading
A few months ago, I bumped into an article that explored my main concerns about research on sight-reading. The author Ji In Lee opens the article stating that there is no feasible theory behind sight-reading and that until now, no one has explained differences between individuals in SR achievements.
The article “The Role of Working Memory and Short-Term Memory in Sight Reading” (Ji In Lee, 2003) focuses on the information processing elements needed for sight-reading. That is, Lee studies the role of working memory (WM), short-term memory (STM) and mental speed and how these 3 elements could be valuable predictors of sight-reading. If you have been following this blog, you are going to find such elements familiar to you. The vision therapy exercises I have been analyzing (PTSII) work on the oculomotor skills* as well as information processing. After you see an image, information is sent directly to your brain in order to be processed, hence the eye’s nickname, “the outside brain.”
The conclusions of this study are that "sight-reading skills should be explained within the framework of general cognitive skills and that WM** and speed of processing*** are significant predictors for sight-reading achievements.”
STM however did not show a high significance in explaining sight-reading differences. It makes sense for WM to have a more important role since while musicians read, they have to store information seeing ahead as well as process it in terms of how to finger it, chunk it, phrase it, etc. During the mechanical output of a passage seeing in the recent past, we are already working (processing) on what is coming ahead.
There is very little research done on the role of information processing and sight-reading:
- Lee (2003) has demonstrated that SR should be explained within the framework of general cognitive skills. WM, STM and mental speed are significant predictors for SR achievement.
- Berz (1995) designed the first model of WM based on Baddeley’s (1990) model, which include a music memory loop.
- Kopiez and Lee (2006) have studied general cognitive skills (WM), elementary cognitive skill (RT), expertise-related skills (experience and ear training/auditory expectancy).
- Engle (2002). http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/11/1/19.short (abstract)
- Lehmann and Ericsson (1993) have tested STM in good and poor sight-readers
* Ocular Motility: Visual Search, Visual Sequencing, Visual Sequential Processing and Visual Scan.
** WM: Tachistoscope Exercise, Visual Span,Visual-Visual Integration.
STM: Visual Concentration.
***All PTSII exercises focus on developing Information Processing, Temporal Vision Processing and Rapid Automatized Naming.
The article “The Role of Working Memory and Short-Term Memory in Sight Reading” (Ji In Lee, 2003) focuses on the information processing elements needed for sight-reading. That is, Lee studies the role of working memory (WM), short-term memory (STM) and mental speed and how these 3 elements could be valuable predictors of sight-reading. If you have been following this blog, you are going to find such elements familiar to you. The vision therapy exercises I have been analyzing (PTSII) work on the oculomotor skills* as well as information processing. After you see an image, information is sent directly to your brain in order to be processed, hence the eye’s nickname, “the outside brain.”
The conclusions of this study are that "sight-reading skills should be explained within the framework of general cognitive skills and that WM** and speed of processing*** are significant predictors for sight-reading achievements.”
STM however did not show a high significance in explaining sight-reading differences. It makes sense for WM to have a more important role since while musicians read, they have to store information seeing ahead as well as process it in terms of how to finger it, chunk it, phrase it, etc. During the mechanical output of a passage seeing in the recent past, we are already working (processing) on what is coming ahead.
There is very little research done on the role of information processing and sight-reading:
- Lee (2003) has demonstrated that SR should be explained within the framework of general cognitive skills. WM, STM and mental speed are significant predictors for SR achievement.
- Berz (1995) designed the first model of WM based on Baddeley’s (1990) model, which include a music memory loop.
- Kopiez and Lee (2006) have studied general cognitive skills (WM), elementary cognitive skill (RT), expertise-related skills (experience and ear training/auditory expectancy).
- Engle (2002). http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/11/1/19.short (abstract)
- Lehmann and Ericsson (1993) have tested STM in good and poor sight-readers
* Ocular Motility: Visual Search, Visual Sequencing, Visual Sequential Processing and Visual Scan.
** WM: Tachistoscope Exercise, Visual Span,Visual-Visual Integration.
STM: Visual Concentration.
***All PTSII exercises focus on developing Information Processing, Temporal Vision Processing and Rapid Automatized Naming.
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