The Doctor is In From the Classroom All-State Website

As we all know, when we get older, we take more trips to the doctor for a variety of issues both major and minor. I could not help but notice the similarities of the typical doctor visit and the normal music rehearsal.

Gathering Info

As we arrive at the doctor we are bombarded with questions from receptionists, nurses, and doctors. They use this information to aid in treatment of the issue you are having. We as directors also use this information gathering as the students perform. We use our listening abilities to gather as much information regarding any performance issues just as the medical staff listens to our answers to their numerous questions.

The medical staff listens to not only the answer to the questions they ask, but also to the way we respond. They listen to our tone, volume, clarity, and articulation. These are some of the same specific details we listen to as our groups perform for us in daily rehearsal. The use of daily rehearsal recordings is a great tool in gathering information on issues that are not caught in the live rehearsal.

Great doctors and great directors are great listeners.

Diagnosis

Once the doctor has the information provided, the doctor moves to diagnosis of the issue at hand. The doctor will use their knowledge gained through study, experience and intuition. Accurate diagnosis is key to effective treatment.

Diagnosis is a key skill for all directors. Understanding the issues that are occurring in the ensemble will always increase rehearsal effectiveness. The director should continually use their skills from score study, rehearsal experience, and their musical intuition to correct the problems presented.

Treatment

Now that the doctor has a pretty good idea what the issue is that brought you to their office, they can begin treatment. Some treatments will bring immediate results within the exam room. Some treatments will take a few days to gain results. And some treatments will take much longer to bring positive results.

Hopefully, directors can quickly provide the correct treatment of issues such as wrong notes, articulations, or dynamics. Some issues may require more time to correct like a challenging technical passage. And finally, some issues like tone quality and tone production may require constant reminders and incorporation into daily warm-up and increase focus in rehearsals.

Think of your rehearsals as a doctor's visit. Gather the information needed for the diagnosis and treatment of the issues in the ensemble. Treatment may be a quick in-rehearsal fix or it may be more long in duration. The key is to get the ensemble the treatment that is needed.

Doctor, the ensemble is ready for you...

We are excited to promote a new website helping students prepare for all-district and all-state auditions. The site -- https://www.allstateband.org/ -- was created by Tyler Vahldick, a Branson High School alumnus and graduate of the Manhattan School of Music. The site is completely free for student use and features video recordings of all of the Missouri All-State Band audition repertoire. Tyler has plans to add the material for the Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas regions as well. Palen Music Center is proud to be the premier sponsor of this helpful site. Please help us spread the word!