The school year has begun and the fall season is just getting underway.

How productive are you in rehearsal?

What's Your Rehearsal Patience Level?
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As we all get back into regular rehearsals, here are a few pointers to consider:

Plan time to talk/catch up at the beginning of rehearsal

Chances are that if your group has survived this long, you probably don't completely hate each other.  Especially if you took the summer off, catching up and chatting at the top of rehearsal will help re-bond your group and hopefully quell any extraneous rehearsal talking.

Team building/ice breakers are not dumb and get you ready to sing

We all understand the value of vocal warmups, but what about other kinds of preparation? No, we're not talking about trust falls.  Ice breakers like "2 Truths and a Lie" or "I'm Going on a Picnic" help melt the day away and prepare you for the music you're about to engage in.  Going around the horn with a good and not-so-good thing that happened to you this week is a great activity too!

Eating together is also good symbolically and emotionally

Vocal music is all about harmony, right?  We don't just mean musical harmony.  "Family Dinner" has been proven to help, strengthen, and repair the bonds of whosoever breaketh bread together.

Set an agenda with a rough schedule

Everyone is busy and every appreciates knowing where they are, where they came from, and where they're going.

Start with something fun that you love to sing 

Working hard is good.  Having fun and remembering that you love singing (and each other) may sound simple, but it's incredibly important!

How do you prepare for a productive rehearsal?