Choral Sight Reading Criteria and Samples

LMEA is replacing the current LMEA Supplemental Sight Reading Materials and the Florida Vocal Association (FVA) Sight Reading Materials with exercises specifically written each year to match the needs of Louisiana.

Rationale:

  • To update the Vocal Sight Reading criteria to reflect the teaching concepts taught in music programs across the state
  • To update the Vocal Sight Reading criteria to match the LMEA Large Ensemble Vocal Assessment Proposal requirements
  • To provide criteria that matches the LMEA Large Ensemble Vocal Assessment rubric

Details:

The following chart provides the Vocal Sight Reading Criteria that meets the needs of  classification minimum requirements for sight reading performance for all levels of participation.

Only the most common exercises requested will automatically be written (those listed in black letters on the Sight Reading Criteria Chart linked below) with the other options (those listed in red letters) written on an as needed basis.

Vocal Directors must request their needed voicing on their registration form. Requests for additional voicing exercises are to be sent to the Executive Director by the District Director within a week after a district’s registration due date. At that time, a request will be made to the composer to write the additional exercises.

District Directors will receive the voicings needed for their Large Ensemble Vocal Assessment as PDFs.

Once all District Large Ensemble Assessments are completed, LMEA plans to upload and archive this year’s sight reading exercises to provide directors with this additional resource.

Sight Reading Criteria Chart for all grades (updated 2/4/24)

Elementary and Middle School: eighth notes will be in pairs only (no eighths in syncopated patterns)

Elementary rhythm only exercises: notes will have note heads and stems (up or down) and will be on a single-line staff

Samples of the new sight reading exercises:

Middle School – 2 part

High School – SSA

High School – SATB