Post-Mortem

Final concerts are behind you – or about to be so.

What many do is focus forward immediately after things wrap up. Start planning next year, program music, calendars, fundraisers, and on and on.

Those are all important things, and I advocate staying as far ahead of the curve now as you can. But I think it’s also really valuable to borrow a move from the theatre world.

Post mortem literally means after death, and many theatrical companies regular conduct a post mortem immediately after a show closes. When the successes and failures of a production are freshest in your mind is the best time to address them and adjust process for the future.

Look over the calendar, day by day. If you have a team, schedule an hour and do it together. Discuss shortcomings and successes. Where did you miss the mark? What were you proudest of?

Write down as much as you can. Think deeply and honestly. You’ll never get back this past school year, but you can make decisions now to improve on failures and lock in successes.

As soon as possible, add a post mortem into your process. This school year will never be fresher in your mind than it is today.