The joys of being a section leader

April 20, 2006 at 11:35 PM

So, today in orchestra we had a short sectional. And to put it plainly, about 2 thirds of my section is just bad. Ant least the remaining third tries to play the music. Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that:
1) going through the part note by note
2) encouraging
3) lecturing
4) ignoring
and 5) everything else I've tried
doesn't work. And so after rehearsal, I talked to the conductor... and they will be in for a bit of a surprise tomorrow. We decided to (randomly - starting tomorrow) have the rows reversed some days. So that the problem students will be in the front row, completly exposed... Maybe that will get them to try a bit harder.

From Elizabeth Chavez
Posted on April 21, 2006 at 5:36 AM

hehe...i like it ;)

From Maura Gerety
Posted on April 21, 2006 at 3:16 PM

Hah! that should work! Suddenly the last-chair slacker is getting the Look of Death from Maestro and feels strangely compelled to practice.....I like it....
reminds me, my best friend told me about one time he had four orchestra gigs in the same two weeks, and one of them (the one he didn't have time to practice for) was Don Juan, and he was in third chair firsts for that one......he got so much Look of Death he wound up with tendonitis. :(

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