Don’t only program wow pieces.
Some pieces don’t wow you right away. But sometimes, they’re essential parts of your repertoire selection.
It’s easy to program wow pieces, because they immediately engage the ensemble. When the ensemble is excited, they work harder, grow faster, and are committed to preparing performances that also wow the audience.
With slow burn pieces, as I described them today, the ensemble at first listen might call them boring or uninteresting. They might question why the piece was selected, or zone out of rehearsal.
Well-selected slow burn pieces, though, can connect at deeper, subtler levels with the ensemble and with the audience. Again and again, I’ve seen slow burn pieces become favorites.
Don’t be afraid to program pieces that don’t immediately grab your ensemble. Select the right piece, and then use the trust you’ve built with your ensemble to tide you over until they’ve fallen in love with the slow burn.