One of my goals this year is to send out an agenda the night before every weekly rehearsal.
I can’t think of a single ensemble I’ve ever sung in that had a specific agenda that I was aware of ahead of time. I am certain my conductors had specific plans for rehearsals much of the time (some conductors all of the time, some were clearly winging it often) but these were never shared ahead of time with me. Perhaps there would be bullet points on a chalkboard, but that would be it.
Meanwhile, I often try to write “Dear People” letters in the style, if not the length, of Robert Shaw. I like the idea that I reserve reflection for the letter so I can move forward more quickly in rehearsal.
But it has struck me that my students will probably be better prepared, and better equipped, for rehearsal with an agenda ahead of time. They will walk in ready to go, and they will hopefully be more fully invested in aiming to complete the tasks we’ve planned out. I don’t know why I have clung to the idea of surprising my students with what’s happening in rehearsal; I know they appreciate the structure that comes from knowing what’s coming. I would, too.
So right now, I’m building reusable document templates that will allow me to quickly craft agendas I can send out – easy to read, easy to use in prepping for rehearsal. Stay tuned for how this unfolds in my experience.