At this point in the semester, I wish I was better at everything.  As far as theory goes, I wish I was better at understanding modulations.  I can identify modulations in the short music examples in the theory text book, but I have always had difficulty identifying modulations in longer pieces of music.

Aural Perception:  I wish that I was better at triplet and duplet rhythmns.  One of my songs uses triplets in almost every measure.  I want to be able to master the rhythm so that I can focus on more musical and performance aspects of the song.  I think that the rhythm exercises we have done in class have helped me to gain a better understanding of triplets.  Also, listening to a recording of the song has helped me.  Well, I hope it has helped me.  While I listen to the recording, I count.  The first few times, I count the piano part while I listen and follow the voice part in my music.  Then I can see how the voice and piano parts work together.  Then I focus on counting the vocal part.  Counting the vocal part is harder .  I find a lot of times that I revert to counting the piano part instead. 

More Ap fun!!!!:  I wish I was an expert at interval identification (especially the descending intervals..hint, hint ).  I think that when we do interval identification, we should practice ascending and descending intervals.  I still need to improve alot on interval identification.  I've found that the "song" method doesn't work very well for me, especially with 4th and 5ths.  When I practice interval id. on Auralia, I try to think songs.  "Here comes the Bride" for 4ths and so on and so forth.  So I'm on Auralia and I hear an interval.  It's "Here comes the Bride", I'm sure.  But no!  It's actually "O Wi O" from the Wizard of Oz.  Darn these songs.  I try to think solflege when I hear intervals. 

Solflege, oh, be still my beating heart  .  I used to despise solflege.  Now, since I forced myself to use solflege, I have become almost reliant on it.  I have a really hard time sight-reading something that has words.  Maybe, we could try sight-singing something in class that has words.  As for me, I have a Roman Catholic hymnal from the library.  I have tried to sight-read a few of the songs in the book.  I try to sing a few measures at a time with the words.  Then I play them on the piano to check myself.  When I'm not right, I underline the intervals and places in the song on which I strayed from what is actually written.  Then, I make a mental note of the intervals that I need to practice.  This basically includes any of the larger intervals.  Then, I sing the portion on solflege again, checking my work.  I really want to improve my skill of sight-singing with words.  I don't want to not panic when I can't use solflege.  Afterall, soloists and choirs don't usually perform their music with solflege.  That would create an extremely boring concert.

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