Strike while the iron is hot. Now is a good time to make sweeping rehearsal changes. If there is anything you want to be different, now is the best possible time to make a major change!

 

It is not always easy to make changes to the flow of your rehearsal. Most rehearsal changes require explanation, buy-in, and reinforcement. The first week of the new year gives us a unique opportunity to allow for improved rehearsals. There are 4 reasons why this is a window you can’t afford to ignore.

Here are the 4 major reasons why we can make major rehearsal changes NOW:

 

1. The holiday concert season is behind us

 

One season just ended and we are likely beginning a new rehearsal cycle.  If your choir was caroling or just had a major concert, you are probably entering a new phase in the rehearsal cycle.

2. The atmosphere is different

Today, I just put away my home holiday decorations and moved my furniture back to it’s 11-month locations. The day before the winter break, my students and I had removed all Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa decorations from our rehearsal room. It’s still winter, but it’s not holiday season. The room should inevitably look different. A change in visual stimulation can easily lend itself to modifications in rehearsal structure.

3. We are returning from a long break

 

A long break takes everyone out of old routines. If fact, it’s hard to remember the old routines after approximately two weeks off. I, personally, forget when to set my alarm clock in the AM after a long break.

 

Whether it’s the old routine or a new routine, something needs to be retaught or reinforced after a two-week break.

 

4. It’s the new year

 

It’s not a new school year, but it is a new year. New Year’s resolutions are a real thing. Gyms make a killing off New Year’s resolutions. I’m starting my diet tomorrow and vow to exercise daily. I bet you that your students have made some resolutions of their own. They may even have something to do with their participation and accountability in school.

To start the new year, students will likely be more accepting of ways in wish you choose to improve their rehearsals. In fact, many students may even have their own resolutions on how they can be better students.  It is way more difficult to implement changes in November or March, for example, than it will be to start the new year. Both you and your students have had ample time to reflect upon what is and is not working.

 

What new year rehearsal changes should we make?

 

Were your rehearsal running perfectly before the break? If not, you can reflect upon was not running smoothly.

 

Are there behavioral issues that you had chosen to ignore? Are there educational band aids that you’ve been using during the sprint to your concerts (in place of more effective, long-term solutions)?


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Do you need help making rehearsal changes?

 

The new year breeds new hope. With that said, the new hope fades quickly without a new plan of action. If your rehearsals before the break were plagued with disruptions and disengaged students, you need to do something different. Did you find yourself mentally and physically drained after each rehearsals? If so, you may be looking for a new approach for running daily rehearsals.

If you want to learn how to take control and turn around your choir rehearsals, I offer an online, on demad course: Choir Crash Course: Mid-Year Retool.
What you will learn will FOREVER change the way you run your choral program!
My Mid-Year Retool Course will show you how to TURN AROUND your rehearsals IMMEDIATELY!
  • FIRST, learn WHY your students are DISRUPTIVE, not focused, and disengaged.
  • NEXT, create a simple, easily executable plan.
  • NOW, you are ready to TURN AROUND your choir rehearsals!
This course isn’t magic. It provides a series of intentional steps that will put you and your students on the road to success!

 

Tomorrow, I’m going to share a list of rehearsal changes you can make RIGHT AWAY! These are things you can do with little to no preparation.