Standard 3: The PK-12 teacher has skills in reading and writing music.

The ability to read and write music is an essential skill for musicians, particularly those in the West, as it
is the primary way of learning and sharing music in many of our most prevalent cultures. As an educator,
these skills are foundational to current education practice in developing students into complete
musicians. With the ability to read and write music, we find tools to both interpret and create our own
art which is relevant to our experiences. The educator uses their skills in reading and writing music to
analyze music for performance, to teach music theory and composition, to guide students through the
process of interpreting a musical work in order to perform it effectively. In today's world, the ability to
read and write music is integral to the development of capable, effective, and versatile musicians.

The structure of most performance-based music classrooms is built upon the continued development of
student ability in regard to reading and writing music. Students are presented notated music that they
will enjoy performing, but that also will challenge their abilities and support their growth into more
skilled musicians. This focus on development progresses the students' abilities into a place where they
are more free and flexible to perform any music that is presented to them. As students enter the more
advanced stages in their development in regard to reading and writing music, they often interact with
rhythmically and tonally complex music. As a conductor for K-State's University Chorus in preparation
for our performance of Orff's Carmina Burana, I led students through the learning of a pretty varied and
complex classical work which featured constant meter changes, key changes, complex rhythms, latin
text, and vocally challenging ranges. For an educator to help students to tackle challenging pieces, the
educator must first be adept to meet the challenge themselves. This is accomplished first and foremost
in their skill regarding the reading and writing of music.

While reading music has very easily understood benefits for musicians, writing's impact cannot be
understated. When a musician approaches music from a composer or an arranger's standpoint, their
mind is expanded to see the many components of a piece which work together to create the final effect
seen in the music presented. In my arrangement of "Clair de Lune" from Suite Bergamasque by Claude
Debussy, I had to think through the ranges of the instruments used, how their sounds blended, and
decide on which instruments I wanted on each part for those reasons. Similarly, students also benefit
from opportunities to actually engage in the writing process. It can lend them a better understanding of
their role in the pieces they play and how they can better serve the whole purpose of a work. When
students develop in this way, they begin to encourage their classmates growth in similar ways, and the
learning community thrives while effectiveness in performance soars.

Reading and writing are two skills truly integral to the attainment of a student's full musical potential.
For this reason, along with many others, it is very important for a music educator to be skilled these
areas.