Dear Colleagues,

"If we only had a few more rehearsals!"

No doubt many of us have this thought at the dress rehearsal; somehow, there never seems to be quite enough rehearsal time. In fact, this might well be the majority opinion.

I see it a bit differently: I suggest that there's usually enough time...but what we're short on is effective rehearsal planning. Truly effective rehearsal planning comprises developing a long-range strategy, as well as a plan for executing that strategy at each rehearsal: "Plan your Work, then Work your Plan."

The long-range strategy identifies: 1) music to rehearse in depth at each session (piece A; rehearsal numbers 5 to 8); 2) music already worked on to review, and; 3) music to play through so students learn "how it goes" and get a sense of the entire concert.

The individual rehearsal plan details how we carry out the long-term strategy at each session. This plan requires that directors identify - before the rehearsal - problems that are likely to arise in the new music to be rehearsed at each session, as well as the solutions.


LONG-TERM STRATEGY

It's vital to develop a long-term strategy that specificies the music to be rehearsed at each rehearsal. In my experience, the level of music making at concerts can be top notch only if the students have learned the music thoroughly by focusing on relatively small amounts at each rehearsal.

Buildings are constructed one brick at a time. If the priority is manufacturing, inspecting, and installing the bricks carefully, a solid structure will result. If the building is thrown up quickly for fear that the deadline won't be met...watch out below for falling bricks!

1. One way to develop this long-term strategy is to divide the total number of measures you will perform by the number of rehearsals less, of course, the last two or three, when you will want to play through the pieces. Remember that it's also important to "rehearse playing through the music."
   
   You would then probably want to conform that precise number of measures to sections, rehearsal numbers, or phrases. The result will be the new music to be learned - solidly - at each rehearsal.
   
   
2. The next step in your long-term strategy would be to specify the music to review at each rehearsal. This will be simple - it's the music you've already worked on in detail. If you've worked from the beginning of a piece to letter A at rehearsal one, and from letter A to B at rehearsal two, you'll review the music you've worked on - from the beginning to letter B - at rehearsal three. Your long-term strategy will include scheduling ever-larger reviews of material worked on it detail at each subsequent rehearsal.
   
   
3. The final part of your long-term strategy is to specify the music you will play through without stopping. It's important to schedule this reading component because young musicians' primary concern is knowing "how the piece goes." They won't be able to focus on nuances until they do. Playing through music that hasn't yet been rehearsed in detail also provides the physical satisfaction that continuous playing gives.

1. Your rehearsals will begin with tuning (for instrumentalists) and a warm-up. Make sure that both increase involvement and concentration.
   
   
2. Turning, then, to the new music to be learned, make sure to apply the principles of involving the students; focusing on learning, not teaching; modeling the behavior you want from your students; sending consistent messages, and so on (please see earlier Tips for discussions of these principles).
   
   Then play through the new music and apply the solutions you've prepared to the challenges you've identified in your score preparation (we'll discuss the mistakes most ensembles are likely to make in a future Tip).
   
   

   Make sure not to move on before the young musicians perform to your satisfaction and have marked their music!

   
   
   
3. Next will be a review of the material you've worked on in detail. Musicians repeat and repeat their solo pieces to work the music into the muscle memory; the same must be true for their ensemble pieces; it's all music to be learned.
   
   During the review, you'll surely need to help them hear where they've lapsed since they last worked on the shorter segments in detail. But the power of repetition and their taking responsibility for the quality of their music making is such that, over time, these lapses will become fewer and less frequent.
   
   
4. Finally, play through the music your long-term strategy specifies for that rehearsal. In addition to the benefits previously mentioned, this will eliminate the too-common situation of students' playing or singing a piece for the first time just before the concert, and will "grease the synapses," so to speak, for later detailed work on shorter segments.