It’s my third and final choral group retreat of September this weekend. That’s as good occasion as any to ask: what are retreats for?
In the end, I think that retreats are for all of the following five things; how you divide your time among each of these categories depends a lot on the goals of the ensemble and where they are on each of the categories when they get to the retreat.
- Musical mastery.
- Social connection & cohesion.
- Group goal setting.
- Defining, practicing, & reinforcing ensemble traditions.
- Fun.
Everything I’ve done at each of the retreats I’ve led or attended over 25 years has been in the service of one of those five categories. The duration of retreats gives you a huge advantage towards any or all of those goals, compared to a normal rehearsal, and that’s part of why they’re so valuable.