 Last week in Part One of this article, I observed out that good rehearsals come in all shapes in sizes, but crappy rehearsals have a lot in common. After spending thousands of hours in my own rehearsals, and attending rehearsals of many groups around the country, I’m amazed that so many people continue to make the exact same mistakes. With an eye toward helping you improve your rehearsals, I offer now Part Two of what I believe are the most common (very fixable) pitfalls:
- People taking their own breaks. So frustrating when you’re ready to start at measure 26 and one of your singers is missing. Don’t let people disappear to answer their phone or head to the bathroom (unless it’s an emergency).
- No breaks at all. Some inexperienced directors think that going 2 hours straight without a break will maximize rehearsal time. That may be literally true, but I promise that if you give your group a predictable break, or pair of breaks, they’ll come back refreshed and work much harder for you. Also, if you never give people a chance to step out of the room, they’ll still take breaks as they please.
- Cell phones. Heaven curse the cell phone. It makes managing so nice when you’re outside of rehearsal, but inside rehearsal the cell phone is your biggest enemy. Ringers off. Put it away. Don’t listen to your voicemail. Don’t answer it. If people are totally obsessed, tell them they can get their fix during break time.
- Food. It just gets in the way. And smells. And the wrapper is loud. Eat and drink before or after rehearsal.
- Never-ending business. It’s fine to take some time to go over details of your next gig, or plan your tour, or review calendar dates. But it’s not fine to have perpetual discussion. Some groups use their website intranet to discuss business matters. Others do it over email. I think a combination is best. You don’t need to leave business out of your rehearsals completely; just don’t let it take forever. You’ll waste time and lose momentum.
- Rehearsing without a purpose. So common. Groups with no leader tend to just sing the song over and over again. Instead, pick a verse, or a part of a verse, or a transition, and then review that portion repeatedly until it’s where you want it. Even if you do review the whole song, give your group a few things to think about; make a goal for each run-through.
- Constantly finishing late. It’s not so bad to go over. More time rehearsing is great. But if it happens regularly, your singers walk into rehearsal feeling like they’re guaranteed to stay late, and that can be frustrating. Work fast, work hard, and if you end early, go home. People will appreciate it.
- Ending on a sour note. Walking out of the room after making very little progress on a song, or worse, after a spat between bandmates, is frustrating for everybody. And it doesn’t make people excited to come back next time. If you’ve only got a few minutes left and you can see you’re not headed anywhere, just sing something your group loves to sing. It feels good to remember why you’re all together and what you love doing.
- Failing to make expectations clear for next rehearsal. When you get down to the five-minute mark before the end of the day, stop and regroup. Take today’s progress into account and make a plan for next time. Make it clear what you expect your group members to do before the next rehearsal. End with some encouraging thought, or a fun song, or a whoa bundy. End on a high note.
If you can improve your rehearsals, you will improve your group’s camaraderie, musicianship, and performance. The more efficient you get, the more time you’ll have to build a bigger repertoire and polish your existing set.
Do you have some suggestions for improving rehearsals? Email me your thoughts at dave@casa.org.
 Add as favorites (80) |  Quote this article on your site | Views: 2079
Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6
AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze - www.mamboportal.com
All right reserved |
