About the Author
Joel Bremner was raised in Ashland, VA. He began his formal instruction in piano at the age of 7, and concurrently studied piano with Dr. Paul Hanson (University of Richmond) and organ with Dr. Ardyth Lohuis (Virginia Commonwealth University). He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Bridgewater College. While there, he studied organ under Dr. John Barr and Dr. Larry Taylor as well as choral conducting and voice under Dr. Jesse Hopkins. He was the director of the Handbell Choir at Bridgewater College and also served as the Assistant Director of Music at Bridgewater Church of the Brethren. Bremner received a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at The University of Mississippi, where he studied conducting under Dr. Donald Trott and voice under Dr. Bradley Robinson. He was the director of the University of Mississippi Women’s Ensemble, and served as accompanist to the Ole Miss Women’s Glee. Bremner was the director of the Choral Music Program at James River High School from 2008-2016, and has been the director of the Choral Music Program at Lord Botetourt High School since 2008. He serves on the District VI Committee for the Virginia Choral Directors Association and has served as an adjudicator for district festival events for both performance and sight-reading components.
Author's Note
Teaching sight-reading is sometimes a struggle in choir programs. Quite often students don’t enjoy it, sometimes it feels burdensome and drags down morale, and many times students aren’t being challenged at their own ability levels. Furthermore, directors feel pressure of impending deadlines and concerts and find it hard to squeeze in intentional music literacy study.
I originally designed this curriculum for my students in my classrooms, and my excitement about the effectiveness of these materials spilled over into conversations with my friends and colleagues at district and state meetings. Overwhelmingly, their response was positive and communicated that what I had created could serve wonderfully in many other choir classrooms as well. It is by other directors’ encouragement that I have decided to put forth the extra effort to write a teacher’s manual and bring all of the elements of this curriculum together in a format that can be distributed and used in numerous choir classrooms needing an effective way to teach and learn sight-reading.
I trust that you will find these materials to be as transforming in your choirs as they have been in mine.
Many Blessings!