Small Group Rehearsals

Set-up and Logistics Is your group set-up appropriately? (eye contact, communication, can you hear each other?) Is one member going to be the leader or facilitator? Does your group need other designated roles? (time keeper, someone to keep everyone on task, someone to make sure everyone is included)

Small Group Norms: Focus your attention on what the group is doing right now. Demonstrate respect for all. Act like a musician! (Use musical terminology, listen to each other carefully)

Establish Goals or Objective Is there a teacher-directed goal, or does the group need to choose an objective? Are all members of the group clear on what the objective is?

Choosing an objective Sing/play through a piece or a large section of a piece. Identify difficult or problem spots. Prioritize the first “bite sized chunk” you want to work on (no longer than one phrase). Identify specifically how that section needs to be improved.

Choose a strategy to work on the difficult spot. Have a strong singer/musician model how it should sound and/or play it on the piano. Check pitches note by note. Count the rhythms. Review text/diction/pronunciation. Everyone sings/plays one of the parts together (example: all sopranos sing the 2nd soprano part) SLOW DOWN THE TEMPO – until everyone can sing/play it correctly. REPETITION, gradually increasing the tempo. (metronome?)

Assess Sing/play a larger segment of the music to put the section you worked on in context. Listen carefully and critically. Is it better? Is there progress? Is it polished?

Decide what’s next Do you want to continue working on that segment, or select the next priority? How much time do you have left?