Dear Colleagues,

Does this sound familiar? We begin working with the sopranos. Almost immediately (meaning, as soon as our attention is on the sopranos) the basses start cracking jokes among themselves. Or, we start tuning a brass chord, and what do the woodwinds do? They duck behind their stands to commune. Sitting right in front of us, they have to be more careful than the basses, but the clarinets and flutes become chattering chipmunks nonetheless. And let's not forget the strings. They don't even have to stop playing to start talking as we start working with another group!

In addition to the lack of respect, consideration, and humanity young musicians show when they don't pay attention (you can add your own favorite descriptors), we know they create other problems, including:

• The sounds of their inattention distract both us and the section(s) we're working with;
• We'll have to rehearse the same passage when it's their parts;
• We'll have to work hard to get their attention when we're ready to resume work with the whole group;
• They get a negative message "In life, you only have to pay attention when it's about you."

• Most ensemble sections are likely to have—at some point in a piece—the same passage. Keep everyone engaged by having everyone learn that passage—even as you work on it with just one section.
• Sections that don't have the exact same passage can apply concepts you're rehearsing to similar or related music in the same piece.

• Singers and instrumentalists would both tend to be late after the eighth rest—they'd breathe or get their instruments up late, not subdivide, etc.
• Musicians don't always give a dotted note its full value. Here, the E is likely to be sung/played as a sixteenth note and eighth rest. Try it yourself.
• A typical mistake leaving the G is for the F to be late; most student musicians won't be subdividing the G into sixteenths.
• It's also likely for there to be a decrescendo on the same G. Singers and players are likely to think about the upcoming sixteenths rather than sustaining the dynamic and tone for the full length of the G.

• There will surely be an unintentional accent on the first note of the second measure: it is on a strong beat, it is higher than the note before it, and it is leapt to.
• The C, B, and A are likely to be rushed; not every young musician will be thinking sixteenths (from the end of the previous measure) to make sure these C, B, and A eighths are right.
• The second A is likely to receive an accent due to the nature of the syncopation, yet that (second) A—and the one following—may not be heard clearly since repeated notes must be carefully articulated; otherwise, they sound muddy and indistinct.
• The G and F sixteenths are likely to be rushed since they are slurred notes that move step-wise.
• Finally (!) the following E is likely to receive an accent—it is longer than the two preceding notes, and is the last note in the phrase.

• Xerox the full score; ask your students to get a copy to put in their folders. (Active involvement from the get-go, plus they'll be curious/interested right away).
• The minute you stop to work on a passage, ask ensemble members to take the scores from their folders.
• Tell them whom you'll rehearse with and where—"I'm going to work with the violas on measures 38 and 39." Important—wait until everyone has found the spot. While they're looking, increase their involvement by asking why this new activity.
• Ask everyone to follow the music as you begin to rehearse, and ask what the rehearsal issues are.
• Then—ask them to find similar music in their own parts…or music that may have similar—or related—rehearsal issues.

• Make sure they mark what you're saying to the section you're rehearsing—at the spot they have the same passage…and then turn around and rehearse them in that same music—immediately!
• Ask the entire ensemble to listen to them—did they get it right? Did the sopranos learn from hearing you rehearse the tenors? Did the saxes learn from your rehearsing the same music with the trumpets? What will the rehearsal be like if you have to rehearse the same spot every time it happens? Right—borrrrrrrrring!
• Do this and everyone will be totally involved, engaged, and challenged.

• Make sure you've clearly identified—to the entire ensemble—the rehearsal issues you're working on with the one section. Ask them to repeat back to you what they are.
• Then ask them to find a few measures someone in the piece that have similar or related issues. Have them mark in those spots what they should remember.
• Here are a few examples of music the students could identify with rehearsal issues similar or related to those in the first musical example, above:

• Not being late after a rest on the beat;
• Not rushing two slurred notes that moved by step
• Not making accents on the F in the 1st measure of the A in the 2nd measure

• Proper timing of the first note—the dotted G;
• Clear articulation of the following A's and avoiding the accent on the second, syncopated, A;
• Not being late on the E after the eighth rest, then not rushing the sixteenths;
• I know you can pick out the rest!