Alix Latta

MUSE 258

Citation
Sound Connections Chapter 8
Don Ester
4/8/2019

Discussion
This chapter deals with connecting the rhythmic and tonal patterns from previous
chapters of Sound Connections into full melodies in the most effective and efficient way,
drawing upon the knowledge previously given to students to allow them to synthesize this
information into singable music. A few of the topics discussed related to this are the instructional
sequence itself, the addition of other melodic information such as dynamics, and introducing
notation, composition, and improvisation with both tone and rhythm.
The reason that this is important for any current and future music educator
following the Sound Connections approach is because melody is where the sound before sight
system connects with comprehensive musicianship through performance, which is what teachers
would ideally be using within their classrooms. Not only does this chapter teach music educators
how to connect all of the information in the students’ minds to create melody out of tone and
rhythm, but it also gives teachers the information necessary to implement this within the
performance system. This is especially important because, while it would be ideal if every school
had a general music class, the reality is that most music educators will be teaching these skills
within a choir, which means that all information being taught must somehow relate back to
performance. With the information in this chapter, teachers can easily integrate music literacy
into their performances, giving students a strong base of musical knowledge with which they can
both perform and understand that performance.