Songs of the Open Road II: Intermediate Sight Reading

My hope is that this book provides a joyful way to strengthen reading skills and helps young musicians enjoy interacting with printed music. The term “sight reading” is used loosely here - the melodies in this book are meant to be studied closely, so that over time the student will develop the skills to visually interpret the complex pitches, rhythms, and expressions commonly found in intermediate-level repertoire. The book is made up of short songs that can each be played beautifully in one sitting. There are unique (and sometimes goofy) song titles with matching illustrations by Sasha Kolesnik that capture the spirit of the music. Below is an outline of the book’s key components, and my suggestions for how to approach them.