An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Music Theory Resources for the Middle and High School Choral Classroom with Alignment to Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards

Middle and high school choral ensembles often struggle to produce musicians who are proficient in music theory skills; however, music theory and ear training skills provide numerous benefits to the student and ensemble. Promoting and fostering theory and ear training skills develop a student’s overall musicianship – thus, strengthening sight-reading skills– further leading to more accurate sight reading, using less rehearsal time, and the option of learning more, or even more technically challenging, literature. Additionally, developing independent musicianship skills encourages higher order and critical thinking in the choral classroom. This project will examine and review selected music theory and ear training resources readily available to middle and high school choral music educators. Specifications for each publication will be detailed, listing pertinent information such as content description, targeted age group, alignment with the Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Arts Learning Standards for Music - 2017 (Referred to as MALSM from henceforth), instructional needs, and the publication’s availability and cost. This annotated bibliography will provide middle and high school choral music educators with important information for selecting appropriate theory and ear training resources for their class or ensemble. By connecting each choral resource to the MALSM, the ensemble director has resources that not only meet the needs of their classroom but meet the demands of school administration as well