Does S-Cubed Work with High School Students? Matthew Sawtelle- Guest Blogger- July 2023

Today, we have a guest blogger-  Teacher Matthew Sawtelle-  Thank you Matthew!

Matthew Sawtelle

DIrector of Music for the Braintree Public Schools, k-12 (Braintree, Ma)

matthew.sawtelle@braintreeschools.org

Teaching Experience:

Braintree High School Choral - 2019 - present

Braintree South Middle School Choral - 2005-2019

Dudley Middle School Band - 2003-2005

Undergraduate Degree 

 Anna Maria College - Bachelors in Music Education - 2003

Master’s Degree

  Boston University - Music Education - 2007

C.A.G.S.

 American International College - Education Administration - 2015

 I came across S-Cubed when searching online for new ways to teach solfege to my students at the middle school level.  I went through college always thinking I would be a band teacher, and never had a focus on solfege.  I knew the basics, but it was not my forte.  I wanted to find a way to get the basics of solfege and sight singing instilled into my students.  I have always approached middle school teaching with the philosophy that students are only limited by what we think they are able to accomplish.  I saw the videos of Dale’s students at festival sight reading pieces with such accuracy and I was sold.  I purchased the S-cubed program the following school year and began implementation.  

Of course, there was some push back with trying something new, with my veteran students, but the outcome was the proof they needed.  I video taped the students working through the exercises in the start of the year, and then sporadically as the year progressed.  We finished the year with students sight reading 16 measure multi-part phrases, when they started off struggling on 4 measure unison.  I went back and showed the students the videos for them to see their own progressions, and they were sold.  I continued using this for the last five years or so that I was at the middle school level.  When I moved up to the director position, and was teaching high school, I thought my S-cubed days were done.  Then Covid happened….

As we have begun the rebuild, my students had lost not only their sight reading ability, they lost the continuity of classroom procedures.  We all have experienced it.  I went back to what worked with my middle school students.  From day one of position one, two, and three, to the forbidden pattern game, students were becoming engaged in class again.  They were asking for more sight reading examples, and forbidden pattern games.  At the high school level, I was able to progress much faster, since I was now seeing the students every day, instead of only three days out of a six day cycle like we did in middle school.

The basics that are instilled in the program were exactly what was needed for the high school students.  I did have to mark up the powerpoint presentations so they didn’t say anything about middle school on them, but the students were able to rebound as we pushed through each day.  Students who thought they weren’t able to sight read were suddenly getting their “lightbulb” moment.  I was able to rebuild and bring students to the state festival, had students being selected for All-State, as well as various choral groups across the south shore of Massachusetts.  

 I cannot praise Dale’s work with S-Cubed enough.  The simple approach to solfege and sight singing has been a tremendous help to my teaching.  It gave me a new confidence in being able to teach music, and also boosted the confidence in all of my students.  My students would not have progressed the way they did without the implementation of this program. I must say that in order for it to work, you need to buy in completely.  Do each unit as prescribed and work.  Don’t worry about how fast you progress.  As long as you are consistent, the process works.  It is proven.  If you don’t fully believe it from my own testimony, then try it out for yourself.  Own it!  Make it your own, and push your students beyond what they ever thought they were capable of achieving.