Foreword by Kristen Chenoweth
Author’s Note

1. Willkommen
A Little Brains, a Little Talent: the ingredients for a career
Racing with the Clock: how to make the most of your rehearsal time
Side by Side: an artistic collaboration with the writer
The Sound of Music: the elements of musical notation
What More Do I Need?: required tools of the trade

2. I Got Rhythm: fundamentals
The Rhythm of Life: how we divide time
You Can’t Stop the Beat: first definitions, quarter notes
Just in Time: time signatures, note shapes
The Speed Test: metronomes and their use
Breathe: rests

3. In Short: smaller note values
Tonight at Eight: the eighth note
We Go Together: beams
A Little Bit Off: off-beats and “and”s
I’m Old Fashioned: vocal notation in older scores
Pretty Little Picture: musical “words” and syncopation
Small World: the sixteenth note

4. Hold On: ties and dots
Married: ties
Stay with Me: dots

5. Play a Simple Melody: the piano keyboard, notes, clefs, and staves
I Love a Piano: finding notes on the keyboard
I Could Write a Book: writing notes on the staff
Me, Who Am I?: clefs, letter names, and the grand staff
You Will Be Found: matching notes on the piano with notes on the staff

6. I’ve Got Your Number: intervals and scale degrees
Go the Distance: basic interval sizes and names
Home: the tonic and scale degrees
Steppin’ Out with My Baby: singing with scale degrees
Do-Re-Mi: the Kodály method

7. You Do Something to Me: accidentals, key signatures, and transposition
I am Changing: accidentals and the black keys of the piano
Ring of Keys: the major scale, key signatures, and the circle of fifths
They Just Keep Moving the Line: transposing songs

8. So Big/So Small: identifying and singing every interval type

9.Fascinatin’ Rhythm: cut time, triplets, swing; compound, composite and irregular meters
Two by Two: cut time
Squeeze me: triplets and grace notes
By Threes: compound meter
It Don’t Mean a Thing: swing notation
Unusual Way: irregular and composite meters
Change Don’t Come Easy: shifting meters

10. Let It Sing: combining your ear and your eye for increased fluency
Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly: diatonic versus chromatic melodies
Do You Want to Build a Snowman?: triads and inversions
Far from the Home I Love: strategies for chromatic melodies

11. Changing My Major: minor keys
Three Friends: the minor scales
Sing Happy: minor scales in context
Show Me the Key: distinguishing between minor and major keys
Sisters: minor, diminished, and augmented triads

12. I Know Things Now: combining multiple techniques to form a coherent strategy for reading
What Comes Next?: reading ahead
1-STARRT at the Very Beginning: a method for analyzing and annotating any new song

13. No One Is Alone: singing with other performers
Here I Am: finding your starting note
I’m a Part of That: consonance and dissonance with the piano accompaniment; piano/conductor scores
Do You Hear the People Sing?: choral singing and score layouts

14. The Writing on the Wall: musical markings, repeat structure, and other score “road maps”
Be Italian: tempo markings
Loud: dynamic and articulation markings
Stop, Time: pauses and held notes
Speak Low: other expressive markings and spoken text
Back to Before: repeats, D.C., D.S., and codas
Ah, But Underneath: underscoring and vamps
On the Street Where You Live: rehearsal numbers and letters
Do It Again: AABA form and other song structures

15. Hey, Look Me Over: close score reading for dramatic and character analysis
Mama, Look Sharp: every mark is a choice
The Wrong Note Rag: analyzing dissonance and contour to color your performance
Watch What Happens: dramatic inspiration from the piano accompaniment
A Change in Me: reading key changes and altered notes for textual insight

16. I Have Confidence: continuing to practice and consolidate your technique
I Can See It: eye-training exercises
A Trip to the Library: the joys of reading music alone and with others