How much of a contingency plan do you have as an educator/conductor?
I think a lot about this – usually when I get sick shortly before a concert. And what I come up with is always the same: plan on a snow day. In other words, assume that your penultimate rehearsal will be canceled. How will that change your preparation up to that point?
I should have a better contingency plan for this site: I don’t have a queue of “sick day” blogs in case I’m too sick to write. Thought about that this weekend, let me tell you. I should build in contingencies for my rehearsal plans, for sudden equipment failure, for any number of little crises.
The thing is, we don’t often anticipate contingencies for one glaring reason. We’re bad at anticipating change. When I’m well, I can’t imagine being sick. When it’s sunny and 80º, I can’t imagine it snowing. When my students are all in rehearsal and singing well, I can’t imagine half the group being gone for athletic events right before a concert.
Because it’s human nature to not anticipate the need for contingencies, we have to be intentional about it. When you plan out a weekly rehearsal calendar, cross off the week before the concert. It doesn’t exist. Then, when it does – bonus! And if you end up needing a contingency plan, you’ve built it in.