I musically produce the annual Cabaret at our high school – we select a theme and audition performers, then I book and write charts (37 this year) for a live band to play the show.
A few years ago, I started staying on stage during the show, and it’s made a real positive difference in the success of the students. Not despite me not playing an instrument, but because I’m not playing.
With the limited rehearsal we have, the musicians need to be deeply focused on the music directly in front of them. The result is that they don’t have the space to focus big picture – anticipate coming road blocks or help stay together if the singer skips a section.
Several times tonight during performance, I needed to mark a section, give a measure number, or call out “Coda…NOW” to get us back together with a singer. It takes pressure off of the band, so they can play their best, and it helps us all help the singers to sound their best.