What educators are saying

“I’ve now had two days with 4-min mastery, and am already so excited with the results. My grade 8 boys, motivated by clear indications of progress, were more focused with sight singing than I’ve EVER seen before. (It didn’t hurt that I told them the grade 6 had achieved level 0.2 #2 in their first 4 minutes). This program is not too far off from what my kids are used to doing every day, but the idea of doing it until 100% of the group has achieved success, and the measurability of success, is unique and promising. I also love the sequence of rhythm to melody to part singing.”

Lisa Ross

MS Choir Director, The American School, London

“Teaching Sight Reading has become a passion for me. For Choir directors to get an accurate read on where an individual student is with their sight reading is almost impossible and is currently not part of our teaching methods for 2 reasons: We don’t have the time to evaluate each student individually and we don’t have the tools to get proper feedback on what our students are able to do. “Tools For Conductors” has created a quick way to get an accurate assessment of each student’s ability to sight read music. Having this information has influenced so many parts of my teaching from picking music to teaching the pieces. No MORE POUNDING NOTES AT THE PIANO. Choristers that learn to read become lifelong singers that don’t need a pianist playing parts for them. What better gift can we give our students?
Andy Marshall

HS Choir Director, International School Bangkok. Bangkok, Thailand

“Sight reading is key in creating musically literate choral singers. The 4-Minute Mastery program is an essential tool in my classroom.  It is quick, easy to use and my students feel successful.”
Barbara Tappa

Director of Choirs, Ferris High School, Spokane, WA - “Washington State Music Educator of the Year, 2016”

4 Minute Mastery has TRANSFORMED the choir program at South Albany High School.  It has allowed me to de-mystify sight-singing with its methodic structure.  Students are engaged in the curriculum and their reading skills have increased exponentially.  Our main feeder, Calapooia Middle School has started using the program as well, allowing there to be a seamless transition from their middle school learning to high school.  I highly recommend 4 Minute Mastery to any choir director looking for a way to encourage their students to move from being ‘singers’ to ‘musicians’! 

Brett DeYoung

Choir Conductor, South Albany High School, Albany, OR

“My kids are TOTALLY buying in to 4-Minute Mastery.  I am not surprised by this.  Simply grateful for their understanding of how this can help their PMA … their Personal Musical Accountability.  This is our mantra for the year!”

Kirk Marcy

Director of Choral Activities, Edmonds Community College, Edmonds, WA; "Washington State Music Educator of the Year, 2017"

“I was talking to colleagues about music literacy and sight-singing practice, and the 4 minute mastery books were brought up multiple times in multiple different conversations, which is how I heard about you. I am new to teaching, and wanted something that I could work with, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel!”

William Eshleman

Junior/Senior High Choirs Conductor, Northbeach Schools, Ocean Shores, WA

“My 7th and 8th grade students and I highly enjoy the 4 -Minute Mastery program.  I like how it includes everything in one place – rhythmic counting, note names, solfeggio names, and part reading.  The students like trying to beat the clock.  The greatest aspect is how quickly the class is improving and their ability to transfer what they are learning in the mastery program with the music we are performing in class.”
Melissa Crotty

Music Educator, Exeter Township Junior High School - Reading, PA

“Teaching sight reading is an investment of time which benefits your choir and each singer. 4 minute mastery covers the basics of choral music reading in an organized and concise manner and allows me to work on the necessary skills daily without taking large chunks of rehearsal time.”
Eric Ronning

Choral Conductor, Stanwood High School - Stanwood, WA

“I am extremely impressed with the 4 Minute Mastery Books I purchased several years ago.  The 3 books move forward in a very thoughtful, sequential, and helpful way for a variety of students.  Several years ago our region added a sight reading component to our Large Group Assessment/Festival which has been added to our final scores in the last 2 years.  Choir Directors choose between beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels.  My beginning choir does the beginning level and has been extremely successful.  They might be able to handle the intermediate level, but I want them to experience as much success as possible during their first sight reading assessment.  My next two choirs have chosen the advanced level the last few years and have nailed the sight reading portion each year.  Of course, much more importantly, my students have become confident sight readers, and graduating seniors come back after auditioning for college music programs and tell me they are some of the very best sight readers in their choirs and their peers are amazed at their skill.  They all tell current students over and over that while they may say they ‘HATE to practice sight reading,’ they LOVE to be able to do it and to do it SO WELL!”

Linda Short

Choral Conductor, Bellingham High School, Bellingham, WA

“Sight reading is the key to musical freedom.  For the last three years I have been using four minute mastery to varying capacities, some with my k-6 choir, Cantamus, with my 7-12 choir, Opus Dei, and my new 6th grade public school choir.  Speaking just for myself, I, who have a piano background have grown as a sight singer this year more than all my years combined.  And then there are the students. If I’m growing, they are too! I’m amazed at their acquisition of the sight reading fundamentals.  They are reaching the goal of independent musicianship.”
Sonja Sarr

Marysville Middle School / ECS, Marysville, WA

“Reading and understanding written music is a primary goal for every one of my middle school band and choir students. Their level of overall confidence increases and their problem solving skills within rehearsal for themselves and for those around them skyrocket. With daily practice on rhythm or note-reading exercises at the appropriate level, I see them experience small successes and start itching for more. When they finally do “solve the puzzle” for themselves, they are relieved and start to believe that decoding all those dots and gibberish is within their grasp after all. 4-Minute Mastery supports and advances those goals.”
Jonathan Bletcher

Port Susan Middle School

“Using foundations of choral mastery (middle school curriculum) and 4 Minute Mastery (high school curriculum) has been incredibly successful for my growing middle choral program.  I adopted this the same year as the high school program I feed, and it has created a great sense of awareness and confidence in my students.  They know that what I’m covering will continue in the same format as they head into high school.  Overall, my students sight reading ability has seen incredible growth.  We went to our first competition that included sight reading and the adjudicator was impressed with my students’ abilities!  My kids ask to do two pages from time to time to get “ahead” of other choirs :)!  Those who don’t love it also know that in approximately 5 minutes of focus I will move on!  I also appreciate the way each lesson builds on theory concepts and introduces new notes.  I love this curriculum and I know I’m giving my students the best opportunities to be successful in my classroom and their musical future through using these materials!”

Margo DeYoung

Calapooia Middle School Choir Teacher, Greater Albany Public School District

“My students look forward to sight singing with this (4-Minute Mastery) system. They enjoy the fact that the materials become progressively more difficult and that they are successful with this approach.”

Terri Sullivan
Choral Conductor, Inglemoor High School, Bothell, Washington

Teresa Sullivan

Choral Conductor, Inglemoor High School, Kenmore, WA