A very useful document, which originally appeared in American Recorder,
Vol. XXX, No. 3
It was developed by the author’s own consort, a group of six players with a fairly wide range of musical abilities.
by Mary Maarbjerg
1. Meet at a regular time and set starting and ending times. We meet once
a week for two hours. Some of us get so carried away with the music we
want to play all night. Much better to “leave ‘em wanting more.” And a fixed
time focuses the rehearsal on the things that are most important.
2. At some point choose a leader. We tried to operate as six equals, but the
best and only professional musician among us emerged as our leader.... We
expect him to consult us on all operating decisions of the group (when and
where we play, how we spend our money, etc.), but we let him settle the
musical disputes. Someone should have the final word.
3. If you start to earn money, open a separate account and appoint a
treasurer.
4. Break bread together from time to time. Musical rehearsals can be serious
business, especially on the verge of a performance. It helps your musical
interaction to have some casual interaction as well.
5. Criticize or comment on the music, not the musicians. “That passage
might sound better if we did…” rather than “You’re bellowing so hard on that
alto we can’t hear the soprano.”
6. Agree on the general purpose of the group and to what extent you will
deviate from that purpose. We got together to play, and very soon found
ourselves with invitations to perform. As it happens, we were all rather taken
with the idea and have basically refocused on performance repertoire, but we
still try to sight-read for 15 minutes or so during each rehearsal, and
occasionally devote an entire session to it.
7. If you have a group that works well together, don’t tamper with it by
adding “just one more person.” You don’t need to tell me about the
proverbial straw…. Remember that group dynamics are fragile and can easily
be destroyed.
8. Don’t let little things fester. Best to bring up a grievance quickly, and
resolve it quickly. Little annoyances become big issues if allowed to grow. If
you don’t want him to put his chewing gum on your antique music stand, say
so at once.
9. Relax and enjoy it for what it is, while it lasts…. Recognize that in any
group greater than one, someone may be having an off night—musically or personally. (Not you, of course!) We have found that the best thing is to just
ignore it, and start fresh the next week. No explanations required.
10. Finally, be prepared to fall in love with someone or everyone. Music is a
very emotional experience…. To share in that experience is, in some sense,
to fall in love, and can be confused with the real thing. Be forewarned. It’s
not the least of the hazards involved in group playing.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Green, Barry, with W. Timothy Gallway. The Inner Game of Music. Garden City,
NJ: Anchor/Doubleday, 1986. See Chapter 14, “Ensemble Playing” (pp.
189-205).
White, Beverly. “Consensus Musicus and the Small Ensemble.” American
Recorder, Vol. XIII, No. 4 (November 1972), pp. 122-123.
This article advocates teamwork and shared leadership in small ensembles. It is most
applicable to experienced ensembles.
No comments:
Post a Comment