Transcript Chapter 6 – Running Effective Rehearsals

QUALITY REHEARSALS
-Too many people, including school administrators and parents
will judge an instrumental music program solely by the quality of its
public performances. While public performances of high quality are
certainly one of the goals of any music program, the quality and content
of the teaching that occurs daily in the rehearsal room is of greater
importance.
-The true measure of quality in any instrumental music
program is the quality of its rehearsals. The total time you have with
students in rehearsal far exceeds the time you devote to performance.
-Are your students becoming more musical in the time they
spend with you in rehearsal?
-Are they learning about music history, literature, and theory.
-Are the developing new technical skills?
-Are they having a genuine aesthetic experience, learning to
understand, appreciate and love music through your rehearsals?
-Are you exhibiting to them a love for music, a wide knowledge
of music, and a genuine desire to impart those things to your students?
A SUCCESS PLAN
-Singleton and Anderson (1969) list “four principals of rehearsal
preparation”:
Choose quality music
Get a full score and study it carefully
Practice conducting
Study tape recording of your daily rehearsals
They also write:
“Furthermore, a director’s first six months of rehearsals are
crucially habit forming. If these rehearsal go smoothly and efficiently because
of his total command of the situation. With parts and score in complete
presence of mind. The young conductor establishes a professional behavior
that will carry him well as the years go by. Like other modes of behavior,
excellence can become a habit.”
A SUCCESS PLAN
-Teachers often say, “If we only had one more rehearsal.”
-All you do is to learn how to manage time well!!!!!
-Establish a policy of avoiding extra rehearsals! This will keep you all accountable for
the time spent in class!
-Thoroughly plan rehearsals. Long range, weekly and daily lesson plans.
THREE HEADED PLAN!
-Long Range: Block of time till next performance, general in nature.
-Weekly: more detailed sketch of intent and time.
-Daily: Specific to the measure and/or instrument section.
-Detail down to the minute. If students sense a “sense of
urgency” they will react positively, especially if you have
planned properly.
-Detailed solutions to problems that may be encountered.
-This preparation is an indispensable guide, providing the opportunity for you to
thoughtfully consider the quality of teaching and learning that has been taking place,
make prescriptions for musical improvement and establish priorities for rehearsals
to follow.
-PLAN DAILY, REVISE CONSTANTLY! By being knowledgeable and well prepared, you
can remain flexible and on top of the situation.
A SUCCESS PLAN
-Donald Metz (1980)
“The ability to plan with purpose and focus is often singled out as the facto which
best describes the truly effective teacher.”
Tim Lautzenheiser wrote in The Art of Successful Teaching (1992):
“We will spend hours selecting the “perfect” music for the upcoming concert, but will
not extend that same detailed preparation in the planning of the rehearsal format.
Not only is this self-defeating, but it becomes a vicious cycle leading to personal
stress, poor performances, strained rehearsals, and a constant battle for program
survival.”
THE DAILY PLAN – REHEARSAL CONTENT
-Standard model: Warm-up, tune, technique building exercises, major problems.
-Followed by review of literature, maybe sight reading, complete play through of
section to conclude rehearsal.
-Because most younger ensembles will spend the bulk of time working on major
problems, work on establishing a positive last impression and sense of
accomplishment.
A SUCCESS PLAN – REHEARSAL CONTENT
Warm up Strategies
-Some may not allow individual warm-up, as to ensure that systematically only
appropriate warm-up procedures and techniques are used and prevents the typical
rehearsal room chaos that occurs with many young bands or orchestra rehearsals.
-Establish a policy of quiet and order from the moment they come in the room.
-Can help for giving announcements and directions for rehearsal.
-There are many possibilities for this valuable time.
-Warm-up is critical for success of rehearsal for two reasons:
1. Students and instruments literally become “warm”.
2. To establish a seriousness of purpose about what is to follow.
-Insist on best tones, fine intonation, correct hand and body positions, good breath
support, and intense concentration.
-FOCUS INSTRUMENT, MIND AND BODY ON THE TOTAL PROCESS OF MAKING FINE
MUSIC.
-Be consistent, especially with young groups.
-Encourage listening to whole ensemble.
-This develops a full unified ensemble sound.
-In tune playing develops with in tune singing!!!
-Long tones, scales, scale patterns, key centers or music to be rehearsed.
A SUCCESS PLAN – REHEARSAL CONTENT
Warm up Strategies
-Pg 121 and fig 6-1.
Ensemble Intonation
-Tuning is a journey, not a destination!
-Use Bb or F for bands and A for orchestras.
-Hum pitch, and then play pitch!
-Lower instruments moving to higher instruments.
-Tune to a tuba, keeps pitch down!
-Use tuning chords.
-Can use an electronic pitch through stereo with tuner or Smart Music.
-Use the football hand-off method!
-The goal is for students to become independent tuners.
-Explain Sharp and Flat. Demonstrate this, push in for, pull out for. Flutes
roll out for, roll in for? Head joint? Reed bad? Brass embouchure, bad?
Trombone, move slide?
A SUCCESS PLAN – REHEARSAL CONTENT
Technique Building In The Ensemble
-After warm-up and tuning period, technique book or write one.
-This is a vital ingredient in the thorough development of mature performers.
-This time can be lost sometimes by high school band due to other time constraints.
-Be in control of your students technique building!!!!!!! Don’t let someone else!
Problem-Solving Time
-Largest block of rehearsal time.
-This block comes from your careful planning
-Go directly to the sections needing attention instead of starting piece and stopping.
-Start at end of song and chunk it to the beginning, fixing as you go.
-Telling students what you will be doing will help them focus on problems.
-Use rehearsal notes for yourself.
-Pass out to students.
A SUCCESS PLAN – REHEARSAL CONTENT
Ensemble Sight Reading
-It is being able to figure out musical problems independently as an essential skill.
-”In music, as in other subjects, learning proceeds most efficiently when the student
becomes competent enough to discern his own errors and deficiencies.”
-Regular use of this tool helps your ensemble grow and problem solve quicker.
-Key
-Time Signature
-Road Map
-Rhythms
-Odd Measures
-etc. etc.
Rehearsal Closure
-Should end with a large scale, complete, musical experience.
-Reading through piece entirety or sections that are “under construction.”
-Announcements
Suggestions concerning rehearsing the ensemble:
A SUCCESS PLAN – REHEARSAL CONTENT
Rehearsal Closure, cont.
Suggestions concerning rehearsing the ensemble:
-Be careful not to talk too much in the rehearsal, avoid small talk.
-Have a sense of humor and admit mistakes quickly. Laugh at yourself!
-Make practice assignments and hold to them.
-Have a pencil in every folder, including yours and teach students how and when to
mark music.
-Use full rehearsal time for large group problems not for individual problems.
-Take attendance and do other clerical duties without wasting rehearsal time.
-Set high but attainable standards for your students.
-Be well prepared for your rehearsal, it is your professional responsibility.
-KNOW THE SCORE!!!!!!!!!
Rehearsal Environment
-Attractive and orderly rehearsal room helps establish a good rehearsal attitude.
-Correct number of chairs and stands set up. Chairs that encourage good posture.
- Adequate storage for instruments and music
-Posters and any other thing that may be used as motivation.
-Adequate stereo playback system.
A SUCCESS PLAN – REHEARSAL CONTENT
TEACHING ENSEMBLE SIGHT READING
- Importance
-True test of independent musicianship.
-If you want to prepare your students to both desire and to be capable of participation
in music after they leave high school or college, then you must help them become
independent musicians.
-Skill Development
-Develop an intentional and sequential program of sight-reading.
-Should be a long term project, not one you take on three days before a festival.
-Start early in the year even with music for a concert.
-Use books.
-Be encouraging, but provide a challenge.
-Try to make it rewarding musically.
-Teach about composers, style, period, form and key centers!
A SUCCESS PLAN – REHEARSAL CONTENT
TEACHING ENSEMBLE SIGHT READING
-Suggestions
-1. No Talking while studying piece.
-2. Look for the following: Ask students to observe these things:
Key (and all changes)
Meter (and all changes)
Tempo (and all changes)
Style at the beginning (and all changes)
Dynamic levels (and all changes)
All repeats (especially D.S.’s, D.C.’s and any Coda)
Solos (study carefully)
Technically difficult sections
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