Part 3 – Working the Plan. How to Listen, and What to Listen For A couple of hypothetical rehearsal scenarios: A. Director leads the group through each piece, beginning to end with no stops. For pieces where there were problems, the director says that they should work on it. B. A group plays several measures […]
Have a Plan A large portion of confidence when leading a rehearsal is knowing what you need to accomplish, and having techniques prepared to help you get there (covered throughout the blog series). Orchestra seating/set-up A vital principle should be utilized in orchestra set-up. Louder/lower instruments should be in back, and softer/higher instruments in front. […]
Whatever else we do as church musicians, directors must know how to solve musical problems during rehearsals and help get our players ready for service music every 7 days or so. Over a series of several blogs, We will unpack the subject of leading rehearsals and deal with it in detail. Confident and Productive Rehearsals […]
Intonation – How and Why to Tune Your Players If you had 50 pianos (but why would you?) and you tune one, then the next one to the first one and continue that process, you will have many out of tune instruments as the process continues. The solution to the need for instruments to be […]
WARM-UPS FOR YOUR INSTRUMENTAL GROUP – PART 1 – WHY? Jeff Cranfill How does your usual day begin – I mean what are the first things you do? Perhaps it goes something like this – you open your eyes, jump to your feet and run 5 miles. As difficult, harmful, and crazy as that seems, […]
