Reprinted from the Rutgers Music Education Newsletter, Winter 1993 issue
Suggestions for a More Effective Rehearsal
by
John Hendricks, III
Throughout our careers, music educators are constantly faced with the task of preparing and executing effective lessons and rehearsals. I would like to share several suggestions for running a more productive rehearsal. These are by no means the "answers" to our problems, but are simply some thoughts on making rehearsals more effective.
1. Planning is essential to running an effective rehearsal. Because of our hectic schedules, we sometimes do not allow ourselves sufficient time to prepare for rehearsals. However, it is absolutely crucial that we MAKE the time. I strongly suggest setting aside a particular time slot every day to study scores and to plan. Once this time is set, a conscious effort must be made to adhere to this schedule by not allowing distractions to interfere. Being faithful to this routine will undoubtedly make a difference in our personal effectiveness in the music classroom.
2. Because of limited rehearsal time, we often do not spend enough time concentrating on the daily warm-up exercises with our ensembles. Besides getting the "chops" warmed-up, this time is crucial in setting the atmosphere for the rehearsal as well as getting the students focused. In order to utilize this time more efficiently, I strongly advise doing a variety of exercises to challenge the students (e.g. various scale patterns, arpeggios, chorales, sight-reading, etc.). These daily warm-ups can also serve as an excellent time to concentrate on those musical items that need special attention in your selected music (e.g. articulation, dynamics, phrasing, balance, etc.). Relating these exercises to the actual music being rehearsed is crucial in developing the students' total comprehension.
3. Here are some other suggestions for sequencing a rehearsal:
- I usually try to rehearse the piece which requires the most attention near the beginning of the rehearsal when students are most attentive. Most of us know what it is like to rehearse difficult passages toward the end of a rehearsal when students become restless.
- I always make an attempt to end the rehearsal by either reviewing what was learned that day or by playing through a selection that the ensemble plays rather well. Nothing is worse than leaving the students with a sense of playing insecurity; a sense of accomplishment is much more beneficial.
4) We need to make every rehearsal a true learning experience. Besides improving our students' performance techniques, we need to take the time to educate them about the music in their folders. Whether the selected pieces are transcriptions, arrangements, or original works, they can provide us a wonderful framework to discuss composers, musical eras, stylistic characteristics, and interpretation. Those teachers who do nothing more than rehearse are really depriving their students of a complete musical experience.
5) Seeking ways to improve our teaching effectiveness is crucial to our professional development. Asking other professionals in our field to observe and work with our students can be quite a rewarding experience. Not only does it provide us with an objective opinion about the ensemble's performance, but it can help reinforce those musical ideas we have been trying to convey to our students. There are numerous other ways to continue our professional development. Whether we share various ideas and techniques with our colleagues, read recent publications and journals, attend workshops and conventions, or listen to professional ensembles, we must strive to obtain even higher standards for both ourselves and our students.
John Hendricks, III is on the faculty at West Virginia University. He taught at Rutgers University prior to his current appointment.