A Philosophy of Rehearsing

“Our attitude towards human beings influences our way of leading rehearsals. If we have interest and faith in the creative abilities of the people we work with, then I think we can go very far. A friendly and respectful attitude, as opposed to critique and threat, is more likely to inspire dedication. One of the most important things I learned during my five years as conductor of The Royal Norwegian Navy Band is to understand the great resources of every player, and that they want me to constantly remind them to aim for their highest level.”

Bjarte Engeset

As musicians, we rehearse to prepare for a performance. There is almost never enough rehearsal time! It is therefore important to be efficient with the practicalities and processes of rehearsing to maximise the amount of time available. ConductIT’s Study Room offers extensive advice on managing rehearsals and acquiring the sort of knowledge required to work with a wide variety of musicians in many different genres. 

However, it is important not to focus only on the technicalities of rehearsals, but also reflect on how we can improve ourselves and our communication methods, not only to make the rehearsals more efficient but also meaningful and inspiring for everyone involved.

Norwegian conductor and Professor at the University of Stavanger, Bjarte Engeset, has written a very interesting philosophy of rehearsing that we are happy to share with you.

Click here to open the full essay: