Ceding authority in rehearsal takes a little bit of fearlessness. And a lot of trust. Turning over control to a student can feel like a risk, and it certainly has the potential to slow down the efficiency of rehearsal.
But in the end, the positives outweigh the negatives, and one of the biggest reasons why is the eye-opening that happens.
For a student who’s ready, the opportunity to step out of the ensemble and listen from the front is priceless. When they return to the ensemble, their perspective is changed, and if they’re a leader, that perspective can be contagious.
Equally eye-opening, a student leader can for the first time experience the energy from the other side. Today after rehearsal, a student leader said, “There was so much talking, I thought I was going to lose my mind.” He’s going to be different at the next rehearsal.
Last, student leadership in rehearsal is valuable because it helps mold future leaders. Schools talk a lot about leadership but classrooms are mostly designed to build followers, not leaders. As hard as it is to give up the podium, it’s the best way to create real opportunities for students to learn to lead.