Rehearsing Music Ensembles Course At The University of North Carolina
As you probably suspect, music is a never-ending learning career. There is always something new to work on and some new skill to develop. To this end, I recently completed a course at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill entitled Fundamentals of Rehearsing Music Ensembles.
Being a conductor is both an art and a craft that requires skills beyond knowing how to waive your arms, even if you are an excellent musician. The goal of the course was to learn and practice the basic principles of running and directing an effective music ensemble rehearsal. This intensive course, taught by Dr. Evan Feldman, focused on musical expression, rehearsal strategies, basic conducting techniques, and, more importantly, listening skills.
The class helped me become a better conductor, teacher, and performer. By the end, I had acquired a new set of tools, which I can now put to practice in a variety of situations. Another good set of skills I walked away with were the practical approaches for improving diagnostic and interpretative skills.
Key topics explored during class included repertoire selection, rehearsal planning, analyzing scores, and how to make music collaboratively. Additionally, we discussed various techniques on how to best prepare for rehearsal and how to communicate with the ensemble. Other areas of attention revolved around articulation, balance, and tone. A great deal of time and focus was devoted to two of the most challenging issues of any ensemble: phrasing and intonation.