5 minutes a day X 5 days a week is our practice goal for the Rockford Aces, the high school TTBB group I conduct.
The last two weeks have seen a real corner turn in terms of how many of the thirteen of them are committing to that goal – either achieving, surpassing, or striving towards it on a weekly basis.
I pointed two things out tonight in rehearsal.
- There is a palpable difference in the music-making we are able to achieve in rehearsal, because they are more comfortable, confident, and secure in their notes, rhythms, and words. It’s always a thrill to turn that corner!
- Even if I didn’t have access to our group chat-practice log, I would have been able to tell pretty confidently who had practiced and who hadn’t, and so could the singers. It’s actually pretty obvious.
The mere act of practicing for less than half an hour outside of rehearsal differentiated the singers in numerous ways.
What’s less clear is why the non-practicing singers aren’t practicing, and what I and the practicing singers can do to encourage them. There are many possible reasons, some benign and some less so.
For now, I take hope from the knowledge that a manageable amount of personal practice can make such a tangible difference in rehearsal, and that everyone in the room can tell.