It might seem logical, given the choice, to solve a problem once rather than repeatedly–but so often we miss the mark.
Page turns are a consistent problem in choral rehearsals. They are the most predictable place for a choir to falter, as they briefly lose their spot. As a composer, I try to be mindful of placing page turns at appropriate spots, but even so, they are a constant challenge for the conductor and choir.
You can solve this problem again and again by stopping, rehearsing the turn, or memorizing the first measure after each page turn so that they aren’t a problem. You will have to do this for every other page of every piece of music you sing, but it’s manageable.
The right solution, though, is to solve the problem once. Learn to read slightly ahead in your music, so that you can comfortably turn the page one or two measures before the end of the page. Learn this simple skill – once! – and page turns are solved. Forever.
The right choice is to solve the problem once.
What other decisions do you make that cause you to repeatedly solve the same problem? Could you do something to solve it once and for all?