Beware the guest clinician mindset.
When I’m extra busy, I am particularly susceptible to Guest Clinician Mindset – treating rehearsals as stand-alone experiences without particular thought to the past and future of the ensemble. I effectively appoint myself a clinician for the rehearsal, assessing and reacting in the moment to the current state of the music.
I’m a good conductor and rehearsal technician; my ensembles still get plenty of value out of these rehearsals. But using my knowledge of the arc of the concert cycle, my knowledge of the individuals, my goals and past rehearsal notes – these all can make my rehearsals richer and more targeted.
Ideally, for a once- or twice-weekly rehearsal schedule like mine, I am making notes for a couple of minutes after rehearsal and then buttressing it with a specific rehearsal plan generated ahead of the rehearsal. Even ten minutes of targeted planning can send the Guest Clinician Home and replace them with the ensemble director.
I’m working this year to feel a greater sense of urgency around this, so I can get back into a consistent rhythm before I get very busy and start to rely on the Guest Clinician Mindset.