Don't Peak Too Soon

"A higher rate of urgency does not imply ever-present anxiety, panic or fear. It means a state in which complacency is virtually absent."
                                        -John P. Kotter

As we wrap up "Time Management Month", we're going to address the issue of long-range rehearsal planning. Most of us are good about planning on a week-by-week basis, outlining each rehearsal as it comes (although some conductors fail to do even that). An equally important skill is the ability to think long-range, and to plan a protracted sequence of rehearsals accordingly. This takes deep strategic thinking, but when done right, long-range rehearsal planning can really augment your choristers' experience and enhance the pacing of your ensemble's progress toward a performance goal.

We've all participated in performances where the ensemble simply wasn't "ready for prime time", when one or two additional rehearsals would've made all the difference. Perhaps less common is the scenario when an ensemble is performance-ready well in advance of the performance date, and the ensemble finds itself with time to kill. This may sound like a non-issue, but in our experience, urgency is a great motivator; conversely, the lack of urgency over an extended period of time can really drain an ensemble's momentum.

It's beneficial to always have a "challenge" on the horizon for your ensemble- something that they're working toward. This keeps people engaged, and often brings our their best qualities: their creativity, their passion, their work ethic. Peaking too soon in the rehearsal process can cause people to check out, and by the time the performance rolls around, they've already psychologically moved on.

**

KRISHAN: I recently had the pleasure of working with the Boston University Singers, a 50-60 voice ensemble comprised mostly of undergraduate voice majors (with some grad students and composers thrown in for good measure). Earlier this month, I conducted this group in a challenging 25-minute cantata by Nico Muhly, a contemporary composer who writes in a highly inventive style that isn't necessarily intuitive for young singers. We had about six 70-minute rehearsals to prepare the choral parts, plus two rehearsals of similar length with the orchestra. As I considered the rehearsal schedule during the planning process, I knew this was going to be barely enough rehearsal time; I was aware that we'd be going into the first orchestra rehearsal with notes still unlearned. I was nervous about being able to successfully pull off a convincing rendition of the piece, and my trepidation was heightened by the fact that the composer was going to be present for the dress rehearsal and the performance.

As we got into performance week, however, I realized that we had exactly the right amount of rehearsal time. By the penultimate rehearsal, the energy was ramping up and the performers were just starting to really "get" the piece (certainly, having both chorus and orchestra present helped!). By the dress rehearsal, I sensed a genuine excitement in the air, as the performers were right at the threshold of conquering this difficult piece. We peaked at exactly the right moment- during the performance, in front of the audience.


KIRSTEN: In the 2014-2015 school year, I had the opportunity to work with my first high school show choir. Though I'd had plenty of musical theatre experience, my only choral experience had been classically-based. When it came time for competition season, I turned to the student leaders (comprised mostly of seniors) to manage rehearsal style/time. I quickly had the students learning the simple pop arrangements, and they had the parts memorized and performance ready in a very short amount of time. I was proud of their preparedness, and was confident that they would perform the pieces accurately and with ease.

What I failed to realize was the length of competition season. Two months later, we were found still rehearsing the same 5 pop pieces - perfecting tone, articulation, projection, balance, choreography, costumes, and more. I found myself getting quickly bored with the music, and I would have rather rehearsed anything else than those pop songs one more time. The students were performing well, but often would lose details quickly and revert to singing plain notes and rhythms. In this situation, the students and conductor peaked too early, and there was no urgency to drive the music-learning process forward. The spark and energy had left the rehearsal process, and it became a redundant and dull class period.

I learned through experience that there is such a thing as too much rehearsal time!

**

While there's obviously something to be said for erring on the side of caution and allowing yourself some wiggle room, it's also important to keep in mind the very real phenomena of group dynamics. A musical performance, unlike a sporting event, doesn't allow the uncertainty of whether out team will win or lose. Nevertheless, a little uncertainty isn't necessarily a bad thing; a sporting event isn't any fun if we know the outcome beforehand!

"Can I Chat With You For A Minute?"

"There is a time for everything, and a season for everything under the heavens... 
  a time to speak, and a time to be silent."  
                                                    -Ecclesiastes 3

We've designated March as "Time Management Month", and our recent posts have dealt with ways to make more efficient use of rehearsal time. This week, however, we'd like to explore the flip side of efficient time management: allowing room in your schedule for unstructured time with choristers.

All conductors are busy, and in truth, many are probably too busy to function effectively. But in our constant state of busy-ness, it's easy to lose sight of the value- the necessity, really- of being truly present for our choristers in a way that goes beyond structured time.

We work with human beings- their instruments are themselves. Stress, frustration, anger and sadness can all take a toll on the vocal instrument. Part of our job, then, is to build sufficient trust and rapport with our choristers to allow them to free their voices confidently. One of the most powerful ways to do this is to sincerely listen when they have individual concerns.

When we're scattered and overcommitted, we simply can't be fully present to provide the emotional space and support that many of our choristers need. When we're running to our next gig immediately after rehearsal, we deprive people of the opportunity to connect with us.

**

KRISHAN: During my last few years in San Diego, before relocating to Boston to pursue my Doctorate at Boston University, I became acutely aware of just how overcommitted I was. In fact, this realization was my initial impetus for wanting to make a significant change in my life. I was responsible for six or seven liturgies every weekend, and was conducting SACRA/PROFANA in at least one performance each month. I was constantly running to the next commitment, and it was having a negative effect on my relationships and my ability to grow as an artist. I found myself getting annoyed when people would try to talk to me after church- even when they only wanted to offer me a complement! I genuinely felt that I couldn't afford to spare even one minute.

As I got settled in Boston in the fall of 2015, I was keenly aware of the danger of becoming overcommitted again. So I decided to take on as little as I could; in addition to my coursework at B.U., I found a half-time church job, and took only a few sporadic conducting gigs here and there. I really wanted to make sure that I had ample time in my schedule for focused and thorough study, and for true devotion to my new parish.

The results have been literally life-changing for me. I'm always on time now; usually I arrive to my destination a few minutes early. Often I'm the first one there, even when it's not a rehearsal that I'm in charge of. And I also feel that I can stay late. After church on Sundays, I linger. I socialize with the choristers as they chat after Mass, and I'm usually the last one to leave. I have found that making myself available to my choristers has had a profound impact on the morale of the ensemble. Sometimes people just want to talk about things that have nothing to do with music; they just want to relate to their conductor as a human being. People still say to me, "I know you're really busy, but...". My new favorite response is: "It's ok. I have time."


KIRSTEN: I used to have a really hard time listening. I tend to talk and move so fast that people often don't think I'm hearing what they have to say. Even at times when I felt that I was giving people the opportunity to speak, in retrospect I realize that my body language and even my general energy was probably sending a different message: even though I wasn't talking at the moment, I also wasn't necessarily listening. I learned that I need to make a conscious effort not only to listen, but to communicate that I am really listening, deeply and sincerely.

As a natural extrovert, this is a daily challenge for me. Every time one of my private students walks into a lesson, I ask them the question: "What's one great thing that happened to you this week?". I also make a point of always asking a follow-up question, to demonstrate that I'm truly interested in their experience. If I can remember the things that happen to them from week to week, and follow up about what's going on in their lives, it communicates that I'm engaged and interested in them as people.

**

The ability to sincerely listen to another human being is something that doesn't necessarily come naturally; for most of us, it's a learned skill. It takes great personal maturity to put our own agendas aside long enough to truly hear another person's concerns. In order to do this, we need to be available to people- we need to allow our choristers (or our colleagues, or our supervisors) sufficient access to our time that we can truly be present for them. Genuine listening provides us with the opportunity to see the world through another person's eyes. This is a rare- and therefore, vital- skill to develop, and can only be cultivated if we allow time for it.

Don't Waste My Time, And I Won't Waste Yours

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst."
                                                                    -William Penn

Everybody appreciates when things run on time. Airlines' flights are rated on their likelihood for on-time departure. The idea of a television broadcast starting late is unheard of. By the same token, our earliest experiences with public accountability involve being reprimanded for tardiness in elementary school. In many areas of civic life, lateness is just not an option.

So why do so many choir directors have difficulty starting rehearsals (or even performances) on time? Some may argue that they're waiting for choristers (or audience) to arrive. But is this really a justifiable rationale? In high school, when the bell rings, it's go time- it doesn't matter who's missing. We've found that introducing a culture of timeliness creates trust (since it bolsters reliability), while promoting professionalism and accountability.

Of course, lateness will always occur. Especially with community and children's choruses, it can be virtually impossible to enforce timeliness without a heavy-handed system of reprimands (which we don't recommend). Nevertheless, we as leaders can send a message of high expectations and commitment when we strive to create an environment where things run on time.

Although it may be challenging to implement strict time-keeping with a new ensemble where choristers are used to a more casual approach, in our experience introducing this practice from Day 1 will eventually send the message that you respect choristers' time, and that you expect them to respect yours as well. In choirs that are accustomed to this practice, it's common for most (if not all choristers) to be seated and waiting to begin a minute or two before the scheduled start time. Once that time has arrived, there may even be an air of expectation for rehearsal to begin.

**

KRISHAN: As an undergraduate, I was chronically late. Even while working on my Masters at Yale, I struggled to get to my commitments on time. However, while singing with the Yale Schola Cantorum during my first semester, Simon Carrington quickly broke me of this habit with a few well-chosen words that are forever etched in my memory.

Another tenor and I were rushing to rehearsal, knowing that we'd be a few minutes late. "No big deal," we told each other, "We'll be like three minutes late." We hurried in a few minutes after downbeat to find the choir standing and Simon already deep into focused work with the ensemble. Without looking up at the two of us, he said sternly, "Don't waste my time, gentlemen, and I won't waste yours." The message was clear: once downbeat arrived, he was going to get down to business. Not only would latecomers be compromising the integrity of his work; their frantic entrance would also be a distraction for the rest of the ensemble. I was never late for him again. In my mind, it simply wasn't an option.


KIRSTEN: At 2:30, the bell rang at San Diego High School for the end of the day. By this time, I was usually in the band room, setting up for choir rehearsal that began at 3:00pm sharp. There was no choir class for credit offered at the school, so the volunteer after school choir club - ironically dubbed re[CHOIR]ed - met weekly. Every week, regardless of who was in their chairs, I began rehearsal at 3:00pm in order to get the most out of our short amount of rehearsal time.

It wasn't until my second year of teaching that I realized how much timeliness had become essential to the high school choristers involved in re[CHOIR]ed. The first time I realized that timeliness was so important to them was when I was running late, and expecting to arrive at 2:50pm rather than my usual arrival time of 2:30. At around 2:45, my phone began buzzing with several concerned emails from students, wondering if rehearsal was still happening. I realized how much they had the expectation that I would be setting up rehearsal reliably at 2:30pm for them to begin right at 3:00.

Not only did I notice how much this affected our choir as a whole, but it also affected individual choristers. I had one student who, during our Summer Choral Intensive Program with SACRA/PROFANA, noticed every moment that I said "10 minute break" and would always come up to me at 8 minutes, warning me that break was almost over.

I was able to take several of my students to a choral festival one year, which they were very much looking forward to. All of my students arrived 20-30 minutes early for the 9:00am downbeat, ready to get their things together and prepare for rehearsal. When the festival conductor did not even begin warming up until 9:17am, my students came to me, frustrated, and asked me why he was disrespecting their time.

When I initially began making a big deal about starting our rehearsals on time, my only goal was to get as much time as possible rehearsing with the students, because 2 hours per week was our only time to prepare full concerts in the winter and in the spring. Timeliness became more than that - it quickly became a sign of respect for my student choristers. I hope they will carry that into their professional lives and careers.

**

If you make a habit of starting on time, we can confidently predict that your choristers will eventually embrace this practice. That doesn't mean that everyone will always be on time, and especially with church choirs and children's choruses, we need to be sensitive to the other factors that may be causing tardiness. But in our experience, the vast majority of choristers will get on board, and will be happy to do so once they can reliably expect that their time will not be wasted. That means that we as choral leaders must have a focused rehearsal plan- and, of course, we must be sure to always let people go at the scheduled dismissal time.

In this age of smart phones, it's easier than ever to set a notification for exactly the top of the hour. Set a goal for yourself to always begin and end on time, and you may be surprised at your choristers' willingness to rise to the occasion.

Taking Questions During Rehearsal

"Since time is the one immaterial object which we cannot influence, it is an imponderably valuable gift."
      - Maya Angelou

With daylight savings time coming up on March 13th, we thought it would be a good time to talk about the topic of time management. So we're officially designating March 2016 "Time Management Month"!

The ability to effectively manage one's time, both in and out of rehearsal, is a critical skill for every choral conductor to have. Sadly, many conductors have a relatively poor ability to manage time (Krishan: I struggled with time management for years, before getting my act together while working on my Master's).

As we go through the month of March, we'll present several posts on this topic- each dealing with a different aspect of time management. In today's post, we want to address the controversial topic of *questions during rehearsal*. What does this have to do with time management, you ask? Read on!

A colleague of ours once made the astute observation that many of the questions asked during choral rehearsals were not actually questions at all. Rather, they were either passive-aggressive statements about what other singers were doing (or failing to do), or they were suggestions to the conductor about how to run the rehearsal. "Shouldn't measure 21 be piano? Because that's not what we're doing." "Did you actually want a hard 'rrr' at the end of 'Father'?". "I'm hearing a lot of disagreement in our 'oo' vowel. How closed do you want it?"

Certainly these are all legitimate concerns. The problem, though, is that it's the conductor's job to address these issues in his or her own good time. When listening to the ensemble, the conductor has certain priorities in mind; the issues raised by choristers may be so far down the list at the moment that they're raised, that the conductor has to address more pressing problems before these.

This is where time management comes into play. The conductor is ultimately responsible for managing the flow of rehearsal. If he lets himself get sidetracked by every little thing, he's not doing his job. We've seen situations where one or two choristers have essentially hijacked the rehearsal to insist on drilling notes that they already should have learned, while the rest of the ensemble has sat idle. The conductor has to have enough sense of purpose (and backbone) to keep things moving toward a common goal, and enough planned for rehearsal that stopping to field every single question isn't even an option.

Every conductor has a list of priorities for each ensemble. When time is precious, questions should probably be discouraged. When working with a new ensemble, particularly one comprised entirely of volunteers (such as a church or community chorus), building trust might be the conductor's top priority. In such an environment, the conductor may need to subject his or her artistic agenda to the human concerns of the community being served; the conductor may then decide to address any and all questions as fully as possible, so that the choristers really feel the conductor is attentive to their concerns. In an educational environment, students might very well be asking legitimate questions about aspects of the notation that need to be clarified before they can even attempt to perform what's on the page.

**

KRISHAN: When working as Chorus Master on Odyssey Opera's Boston premiere of Massenet's Le Cid last year, we began the first rehearsal with our excellent Chorus Manager asking the chorus to kindly hold all of their questions until the break. I had been brought in on relatively short notice to prepare a chorus of about 65 high-level choristers in 3+ hours of Romantic French opera that none of them had ever sung before. We had three rehearsals before we saw the conductor and the orchestra- a schedule that had been set before I was brought on board. I knew that rehearsal time would be extremely tight, so I asked my Chorus Manager to enact a no-questions policy. At the time, I had only recently moved to Boston, and I didn't know any of the singers in the chorus; so I had absolutely no idea what kind of questions might come out if I called on an individual. Furthermore, we were singing this opera in French, which meant there would be lots of differing opinions on pronunciation. Sensing that there was a real possibility for these rehearsals to turn into a free-for-all, I requested a no-questions policy in order to ensure that our time together was focused and efficient. I spent each break discussing questions with choristers (which I was happy to do), and our rehearsal time was extremely streamlined and productive.

With my church choir, however, it's an entirely different scenario. Efficiency isn't the priority there- relationship-building is. So I take time in my church choir rehearsals to solicit questions, and I try to make sure that everyone's really on the same page. I often have to check my natural tendency to plow ahead, and take a step back. This is a growth area for me as a conductor; I believe that listening is an important skill that many of us lack proficiency in, so I'm grateful to have an opportunity to work on that in an environment which is somewhat less urgent than what I'm used to.


KIRSTEN:  I loved being in my college chamber choir more than just about anything. The conductor was kind, funny, and knowledgeable, and the whole group was a family. However, looking back on the four years that I sang in that group, I realize that I definitely qualified as a "section police" choir member. I liked being able to raise my hand and ask questions about things in the music I noticed we weren't performing. I was at a stage in my development, both personally and musically, that I wanted the room to know that I noticed these things. Being the "section police" was my way of truly trying to help the group that I loved singing with sound better.

It wasn't until after I graduated from school and began singing in several other groups (community choirs, church choirs, professional groups, teaching high school choirs, etc.) that I realized just how unhelpful "section police" are in a choir - especially in the middle of rehearsal. From experience I understand that the comment/suggestion may be well-intended, however it can come off very differently. Once I noticed this quality in other singers, I began to quiet my questions during rehearsal, and only asked the conductor privately before rehearsal, after rehearsal, or during break.

Choristers: I would encourage you to think about a few things before asking questions in rehearsal.
"Am I confused about this, or is my 'question' really a suggestion about how the choir should sound?"
"Is this something that I am very sure that the conductor will not address at any point during the rehearsal process?"
"Is this question so dire that I need to ask the conductor now? Can I wait until the end of rehearsal or break time to ask, in order to avoid interrupting the conductor?"

I try and ask myself these questions to circumvent my natural tendency of wanting to be "section police." However, it's important to note that any question-asking policy is going to be situational. Could one of my high schoolers go an entire rehearsal without knowing where they are looking on the page? Yes. However, I would never want them to feel like they couldn't ask that question, as that would be detrimental to their experience. My policy on answering questions in rehearsal varies depending on the level of singers that I am working with.

**

For every singer who truly needs to ask a question and have their concerns heard, there is another singer who's keenly aware of how much rehearsal time is being wasted in fruitless debate. We all want to be seen as kind people, but this desire can sometimes make us overindulgent when fielding questions during rehearsal. Being too easily distracted from our planned rehearsal trajectory can result in an unfocused, fatiguing rehearsal- especially for those more introverted choristers who really crave strong direction and purpose during rehearsal.

One good compromise we've discovered is to allow questions in rehearsal, but to use "ask me again at break" as a default response (unless the answer requires zero thought). There's nothing worse than watching a conductor get sidetracked for 5 minutes of rehearsal as he or she fumbles around trying to answer an unanticipated question (that, more often than not, has nothing to do with the issue at hand). Inviting questions during break time, especially in a professional choral setting, is a great way to encourage those choristers who truly want to contribute, without having to interrupt the rehearsal flow. It also allows you as the conductor to recognize that chorister in a public way: "Mary raised a great question during the break. Everyone take a look at measure 98".

Have you worked with conductors who absolutely refused to address questions during rehearsal? Or have you had the opposite experience, where rehearsals turned into a free-for-all? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments section!