Leading a rehearsal

May 1, 2006 at 2:41 PM

Today, I lead a rehearsal. Today, I got incredibly nervous. After today's rehearsal, I just wanted to flop on a chair and do nothing.

Leading a rehearsal, especially one that isn't going to have a performance at the end, shouldn't be all that difficult should it? And yet, I got extreemly nervous. I was having difficulty playing my part. And it wasn't anything incredibly difficult or anything like that - it was Bach Brandenburg Number 3. Yea, you know the one. Everyone knows the one. Yet, because this was the first time that I had really led an orchestra (even if there were only 9 of us there), I got really nervous.

When the cellist noticed this, she suggested that we swap instruments and play through it. I swapped with the third violist and played through a bit. I was glad of that - as it left me more relaxed when we headed back into the rehearsing of the piece.

I found the experience of leading an orchestra stressful, mainly to find spots to rehearse. Listening to everyone else and figuring out whether they are playing the way I have heard the score in my head, and if not what to do about it, and yet at the same time playing my part. It's incredibly difficult.

At the end of the rehearsal, we played through a couple of times standing up, and I felt more comfortable like that - I felt that I could move more, I could communicate more with the other players, and still get the notes in my part.

I found the rehearsal stressful - I can see that this might be a reason why many orchestral leaders are bald.

And dispite all of that, I want to lead the group again. I need to be more picky - think through each phrase of the score and work out how i want it played, and then be able to express it in words that the players will be able to understand.

I think leading an orchestra is something like skydiving - you'll always be nervous, especially for the first time, but it'll be something that you'll want to do again and again.

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on May 2, 2006 at 8:22 PM

Ben, that is so interesting. One of the most challenging and fun things about music is playing with other people. You have to listen to the others and sense how your sound blends with theirs, but not stray from playing your part correctly. If you hesitate or make a mistake, you've got to re-engage smoothly. When do you lead and hope the others will follow? When do you indulge someone else who is faltering? The saying "We can make beautiful music together" has worlds of meaning. I've been playing very easy duets with my beginning students. Even when they can play their parts well by themselves, they get so confused when I play something different with them. They all enjoy it, though. Conducting must be another big jump in complexity. Have you taken classes in conducting? Do you really know how to play everyone else's instruments? I'm glad that you were brave enough to do it and that you want to do it again. The Brandenburgs are easy technically but rich with artistic promise. Consider the pro's who have played and recorded them. I'm sure you did well, and I'm sure you'll do better next time.

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Leading a rehearsal

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