We all have moments. We all say at some point in our careers "I'm never doing this again." or "I'm done." I find myself saying this more often during the winter months, when it's freezing cold and the sun hasn't been seen in weeks. Our rehearsals become monotonous and our lessons become predictable. We get stuck in a rut. Our students feel it and our colleagues feel it. What to do?
Ways to "mix it up" a bit...
1. Shotgun Rehearsal Seating - Students enter the room and sit in their chairs like normal. Start your warm-up procedure. Halfway through the warm ups, give them 10 seconds to move to somewhere different in the room. They cannot sit by someone from their own section, or sit in their same row. When the 10 second countdown is over, they MUST stay where they are. No switching, no asking to move. This gives EVERYONE a new perspective on who knows their music as well. The third trombone sitting in the front row has no place to hide...
2. Rehearsal in the Round - If you have a large ensemble, this is tricky. All wind players in chairs in a circle, percussion and conductor in the center. Director walks around the circle in this setting. If your band is larger, two circles work (one inside the other).
3. Silent Rehearsal - No one talks, including the director! Lots of playing in this type of rehearsal. This rehearsal keeps students highly focused and engaged. Director can model on their instrument articulations, style, dynamics. Keep them playing and watching.
4. Bring in a Guest Clinician - Tired of saying the same things to your students over and over again? Bring in someone else to do it for you. Often clinicians will say the same things you have been saying, but to your students it's a brand new concept. After the clinician rehearsal, have a conversation with your ensemble about what was different and what was the same.
5. If all else fails, make a pot of coffee, sit in your office, shut the door and watch these videos;
It's okay to feel burnt-out. We all do at some point. It's how we bounce back that makes us the teachers we are. Being burnt-out shows you care in the first place...
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