Methods for sight-singing

[comefortea]

I was just thrown for a loop regarding my school’s theory program. Apparently they do not use solfege. My question is, if I were to audition at Juilliard, Eastman, or a similar school (for my master’s degree), would I be laughed out of the room if I were to sight-sing using numbers? And for curiosity's sake, how common is it for institutions of

Comments

[threefourtime]

I believe the number-solfege system is very common and tolerated, especially at conservatories... you'll never be laughed at. I've been out of the music loop for a little while, but I had actually thought for a while, Juilliard's "default" solfege system was the number system.

[sleepingcbw]

Seconded. Singing on numbers is not uncommon at all, although I can't speak to those particular schools.

[caitsings]

my conservatory used fixed do. Cb, C, C# were all do, no matter your key. each school is different and even within my conservatory, my music education classes worked in moveable do but the theory dept insisted on using fixed do. i think whatever system you come into an audition using would be OK, but you may have to switch to another once you're accepted into a program. there are advantages to using fixed do, especially if you're working in atonal music, or music where there is a blurred tonality (not really atonal perse...maybe lots of key changes, etc.) i wouldn't freak out about learning a new system, but be open minded about changing to whatever your school wants you to use.

[swagmonkey]

I agree with what others are saying. You'll probably be asked to change your reading methods if you get into the program, but they shouldn't expect in an audition that everyone has already migrated to their system. Use the method that you're most comfortable with, because that will be how you'll sightread best, and that's what they're really looking for.

[serenebean]

+1 to everything everyone else has said.

My university uses numbers. We do a little solfege (fixed Do) in my studio, though, and none of the masters/doctoral students are really familiar with it either, so I assume all of their undergrad programs used numbers as well.

If you're really concerned about it, give some of those schools a call. Someone should be able to give you answers. :)