Workshop by Mr Tay
Hi guys! :) Sorry it took me so long to put this up... Anyway, here's the summary of the choral workshop Mr Tay conducted for us in January!
Rehearsal Planning and Rehearsal Technique for conductors
--------Everybody in the choir can be a conductor------
1. Effective conductors must...
- be perceptive assessors
- have clear objectives
- plan suitable (warm-ups) activities
- have good time management
2. Functions of rehearsal are to
- introduce/revise skills and techniques learned in the previous sessions
- learn music
- rehearse the technical and logistics stuff, e.g. acoustic check in the performance venue, walking in and out, "windows-finding")
- combination of any of the above
3. Stages of music preparation
- 1st stage: SIGHT-READING; get a taste of the music; read the music 1 line by 1 line; do not go into the details yet.
- 2nd stage: FAMILIARIZATION; must ensure that musical elements e.g. notes, text, dynamics have been inserted, and are well learnt.
- 3rd stage: POLISHING: look into the details; activate higher musical elements e.g. stage presence, expression, ensemble, intonation, tuning.
4. Suitable activities to be conducted by music leaders
- physical preparation e.g. stretching, vocal warm-ups
- mental preparation/musicianship training e.g. focusing games, literacy skills, intonation
- music familiarization/polishing
5. Rehearsal planning
- Assess state of preparation
- Have clear objective
- Plan suitable activities
- Time allocation
* this can be done by constructing a table as shown below.
6. Rehearsal techniques
There are two ultimate sets of rehearsal techniques that conductors can use flexibly, in no particular order. Presenting the 'Yin's and 'Yang's of choir rehearsal techniques!
THE YINs
- visit the easier section(s) first
- visit the section(s) with repeating musical patterns first
- sweat out the details painstakingly
- progressively add layers
- avoid over reliance on the piano
- sing the piece faster than its actual tempo
THE YANGs
- visit the challenging section(s) first
- visit the section(s) with a lot of variations first
- sweep the details under the carpet: get the big picture of the music first
- be ambitious and demand it all
- use more piano
- sing the piece slower than the actual tempo
7. Tips for conductors
- be demanding
- be kind
- develop senses and sensibility (be a trouble-shooting machine)
- be succinct and clear with your communication (e.g. visual cues, verbal communication)
- Voice your opinions and feedback aloud to the choir (state what was good, who/what could have been better, how can the choir get better, etc.)
- Insist on rehearsal discipline
- Be prepared for challenges and difficulties
- Always question self before others (e.g. was it my fault? Am I the one who caused this problem? Was I unclear in giving instructions? etc.)
Last but not least,
"Repetito est mater studiorum(Lat.)=Repetition is the mother of study (Eng.)"
So there you go! :) See y'all next time.
Love,
Wen Yi
