If you're going to do choral work, you definitely need sight-reading
skills. I've managed to get by with "marginal" sight reading in my church
substitute jobs, but know that I could never get hired full time until I
revive the brilliant sight reading I was able to do back in high school
and college when I sang regularly in choir and madrigals ensembles.
I find that even now, learning solos, it would be a great help if I could
sight-read somewhat better than I do. I know the best way to polish my
skills would be to join an ensemble that forces me to do a lot of
sight-reading (that's how I became a good sight-reader the first time).
But for me, it's a question of time and intent. With a full-time "day job"
and no real desire to sing in choruses or have my solo technique
"confused" or set back by having to develop a choral singing technique -
and a voice that is really too large for the average non-operatic chorus -
the cons outweigh the one benefit that would accrue.
Some music schools and better university music programs include courses in
sight-reading. You might seek out and enroll in one. I also found that
taking some classes in music theory helped my sight-reading (and general
understanding/intepretation of music) a lot.
KM
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My NEIL SHICOFF Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
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I sing hymns with my spirit,
but I also sing hymns with my mind.
- 1 Corinthians 14:15
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