Try this as you get closer to performance.
Solicit three goals for a full run of a piece and write them on the dry erase board. Let your students decide; they’ve already been internalizing your priorities throughout the rehearsal process.
Maybe they’re:
- Dynamic range
- Face/body engagement
- Balance among sections
These are your three focal areas for consistency in the next full run. Immediately after the run, assess as a group how well the ensemble met each goal. If they did a great job, erase the goal and replace it with another goal. If they still need growth, leave it there.
Within about five runs, you’ll have a great list of the areas most in need of focus, and a second list of areas where they are newly consistent.