When we’ve moved past notes and rhythms into singing for musicality, I really like to invite ensemble members to “Give three intentions for this run-through.”
The intentions might be as specific as “I want to nail that transition on page 5” or as overarching as “Dynamics!”
They might be a mirror of things I’ve asked the ensemble to focus on, but it’s just as likely that a singer has noticed something that they want to address before I’ve approached it.
And no matter what the intentions are, it gives focus to each performance, it gives tangible goals to give attention to, it gives us specific things to self-assess post run-through, and it gives ensemble members more authority and leadership in musical decisions.