The Power of Rituals

Do you incorporate any made-up rituals into your rehearsals?

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos explores the way we make decisions that we think will make us happier but don’t, and also offers researched techniques that actually do improve our happiness. In a 2020 episode, she discussed the idea of rituals and how they have been a reliable way to help us through difficult situations and improve our moods for millennia.

She focuses on grieving rituals and rites, from religious to personal, as a window into how these affect our mood. And the science indicates that even in low-stakes situations, a simple ritual can help. The science also indicates that it doesn’t need to be long-established or part of an existing faith tradition; a newly made-up ceremony can make a positive impact, according to studies.

Tiny rituals can be effective in the rehearsal, too. Not for improving mood, necessarily, but for centering the ensemble, creating a tiny boundary around the rehearsal space and time. For example, my rehearsals with the Aces always start with a downbeat and a sung A. This isn’t a new ritual, of course – Robert Shaw did this throughout his career, and probably he didn’t invent the idea, either.

The Aces reliably memorize the pitch by a month or so into rehearsals, but that’s not really the point. The point is to create a moment that says, now we’re rehearsing. I bookend that with a 90-second wrap-up and reflection that I end rehearsal with, as a way to send them back into the world.

There are tons of tiny little rituals you can add, or already have added, to your rehearsal process. Find the ones that work for you, and know that science has confirmed: they are magical! They affect the mood, performance, and energy of the singers in the rehearsal.