Sine Qua Non is one of my favorite Latin expressions – it literally means, “Without which, nothing.” You don’t see it so much anymore – the decline and fall of Latin language classes has seen to that – but it’s a nice one to have in your pocket. Maybe the best English term is “deal breaker” but there’s more negativity in “deal breaker” than in sine qua non, so I’ll stick with the Latin.
I can’t think of just one sine qua non that informs my teaching philosophy in the rehearsal space, so I’m doing a series of them for the next week or so. For each of these, I consider my rehearsal a failure if I do not honor them.
Respectful of Time
The fact that my students have made the time to be in the rehearsal space signifies the value they place on it, particularly in the 2019 era of overcommitted, over-scheduled kids, teenagers, and adults.
If I’m not respectful of their time when I’m in front of them, I am dishonoring their value and their commitment. So I endeavor to be always carefully planned, always efficient with my rehearsal pacing. If I choose to offer downtime, it is because it serves a larger purpose.
Without being respectful of time, nothing. Sine Qua non.