<p>The inability to sight read may not hurt when you audition for college but I can’t imagine it won’t hurt later in auditions for parts and for work. I agree that not being able to play an instrument impedes the ability to quickly learn new music. </p>
<p>Amen, it helps a lot if you can be mentally playing the instrument while you sight-sing.</p>
<p>I agree and it has made us look at programs that have strong music theory and piano requirements.</p>
<p>M D auditioned for a show and it seemed they could not decide from the last three finalists for the lead. What broke the seemingly three-way tie? They had each girl sing the lead role’s part in a group number where the lead did not have the melody, rather she sang “Ah’s” in the background (in harmony, i think?). Anyway, my D got the part and to this day attributes it to the fact that she could read music and decipher the “Ah’s” correctly. The told me it was not easy. That she looked cool and collected on stage due to her acting skills but that the wheels in her head where smoking trying to decipher what was coming next while singing… One of the other girls was completely lost and tried laughing it off. The other did pretty well, but according to my D sang the wrong notes several times. Little did we know that all those piano and theory lessons would one day tip the scale in favor of my D! And it was her first lead role EVER. She got the call on the drive home from the theater and beamed all the way home and all the next day! It is a moment neither of us will ever forget. ever.</p>
<p>@addicted2MT that is a wonderful story! My D is way behind in this area and that is what college is for, right 
I am grateful that it isn’t a factor getting in and that she will be able to catch-up if she takes the right classes. I am actually a little suprised that there aren’t more classes in some programs but maybe they figure everyone in MT already knows. Lots of them do, but mine came from acting to singing and dance so was never in choir or anything like that. She isn’t a musician and she needs to be so she hopefully she gets accepted somehwhere that is strong in those skills.</p>