The brain processes while we sleep. It can lead to miraculous results, in the right circumstances.
I watched the Michigan All-State Jazz Choir start every morning having moved forward as an ensemble from where they were the previous evening. They literally got better in their sleep!
Part of this was the freshness that came with a good night’s sleep. But I think just as important is that the brain literally rebuilds, strengthening and quickening connections as we rest. They came in with stronger synapses directly related to the music they were practicing.
This strengthening by “osmosis” doesn’t happen automatically, though. It requires:
- Enough deliberate practice to tell the brain to do that work.
- Time enough to rest.
- A director who shows and tells why this is important. I think that the intellectual understanding is crucial.
- Buy-in from each singer. If you don’t want to improve while you sleep, you won’t.
When it happens, it’s miraculous – you quite literally learn while you sleep. Wow.