You know where your car’s blind spots are, right? And when driving, you have practiced behavior to ensure safely avoiding having cars in your blind spots.
But you also should remember that other cars have blind spots. It’s important not to stay long in another car or truck’s blind spot, so that they don’t cause an accident.
In short – you have to keep two kinds of blind spots in mind: your own, and the ones of every car sharing the road.
This is true in rehearsal, too. Conductors at every level of experience have blind spots in their teaching: preferences, under-developed skills, or physical conditions. With a little reflection, a conductor can acknowledge her blind spots and compensate for them.
But are you also seeing, acknowledging, and adjusting for the blind spots in your singers? Are you making sure that you aren’t conducting and teaching into their blind spots?
Know your own blind spots and correct for them. But also know how to avoid the blind spots of your singers.