When Pete Seeger was asked if he could read music, he replied “Not enough to hurt my playing!” This is your chance to learn how to read music, a course designed for people who have never read music before and folks who just want to brush up on their skills. We will learn the basics of deciphering the music manuscript “code” and applying it to the human voice. Though we’ll be singing, the information in this course will be immensely helpful for instrumentalists as well. Handouts will be available. Classes 1-5 will introduce progressively more challenging tunes to sight read. Class 1 will introduce the staff, pitches (using the fixed-do system), simple note values, clef signs, and time signatures. We’ll talk about intervals and how to identify them by sight as well as by ear. Class 2 will introduce key signatures, sharps and flats, and more complicated rhythmic values such as dotted rhythms and triplets. Class 3 will add dynamics to the mix. Class 4 will include information on tempo markings and how to use a metronome effectively. Class 5 will (hopefully) introduce a harmony line so participants will be sight-reading 2 parts together.