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A good rehearsal starts with a good teacher. In other words, the educational attitude that is reflected on the podium will have a tremendous effect on the success or failure of the conductor rehearsal time.
A good rehearsal starts with a good musician. A thorough knowledge of music, as it pertains to musical performance, is an attribute that every conductor should possess.
A good rehearsal is planned in advance.
A good rehearsal can be achieved if your “people skills” will allow you to relate to your students in a highly positive manner.
As the above reflections by Jim Swearingen clearly indicate, the quality of a rehearsal depends in large part on the skills, personality, and attitude of the conductor on the podium. While these attributes vary from conductor to conductor, every good rehearsal shares two common elements: clear objectives, and a structure which will allow those objectives to be met in a timely manner.
Every rehearsal should be:
- well-planned
- a music education laboratory
- a place of change and transformation
- a self-contained event
- preparation for a performance
As directors, we are stewards of our rehearsal time and have the responsibility to allocate our rehearsal time where it can be used most effectively. One basic question requires an answer — are we going to use our time to build skills or to rehearse the music? Obviously, both need our attention. I believe, however, the younger the band – the more rehearsal time that should be devoted to skill building….
Published in Kjos Band News, Spring 2002, Volume 5 Copyright © 2009 Neil A. Kjos Music Company