Reflections…
When we practice pre-composed works or exercises, we are usually in a near constant state of reflection. As we learn a new pre-composed piece, we move from ‘am I playing the right rhythms, the notes the composer wanted?’ towards ‘am I making this phrase convincing’, ‘do I like my tempo, does my sound color match what I want to express here’ ‘Do I feel comfortable and excited performing this’? We should reflect while improvising as well. But here’s where it can get tricky. It’s easy in the beginning to get stuck in the ‘am I doing it right’? phase. Here’s maybe the most important first reflection you can do while improvising: Did you play a note during the improvisation? Then you are improvising – you did it right! Did you not play at all? Great! You are listening, and that is sometimes the hardest part of improvising, especially in the…
Why I run slow rehearsals
Like just about everyone else, I’m not running any rehearsals at all right now, especially with my adult ensembles. But when I was, and once we start up again, a lot of my rehearsals run at a pace that may seem slow to some people. It sounds counter-productive, since rehearsal time is always at a premium. But it’s actually because rehearsal time is always so limited that I go slow; adding improvisational games to rehearsals in order to practice skills. Improvisation requires interaction. And encourages taking risks. Taking risks together develops trust and a sense of community. If I spend time creating a sense of community in my ensemble, members can draw on each other for support and knowledge. An ensemble that becomes a community develops their own ways of solving problems, and creating and sharing knowledge. My work as director comes easier, and we’re on a musical journey together.…