HOW DO MUSIC READING AND MUSICAL CREATIVITY WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD COMPLETE MUSICIANSHIP?

Skills Associated with Music Reading

The type of approach taken to music reading, and how it succeeds with students is critical. Students who become good music readers are then able to explore the wonderful world of traditional piano repertoire. These much-loved classics, well known among pianists and listeners alike, are fully notated on the musical staff.

Skills Associated with Musical Creativity

Skills associated with improvising, or composing “in the moment,” allow students to find their own voice as musicians. Students who understand music from the inside out find it easier to learn skills necessary to read and arrange pieces in contemporary styles, such as jazz, pop and show tunes, which are notated as lead sheets.

The Two Work Together

The skills associated with music reading and creativity both complement and enhance each other. As students familiarize themselves with the building blocks of music, what other composers have done, and gain more and more experience with notated pieces in various styles, their own creativity often expands. Likewise, the more they create their own music, the more capable they become in understanding music another composer has written.