So now that you’re a professional musician, it’s time to go to your first professional rehearsal! Professional orchestral musicians have some fun rehearsal etiquette rules that you should probably definitely know and follow if you want to be successful and be asked back to play with that ensemble again – and escape with your life!
Why do we have rehearsal etiquette?
Humans love to make rules. It’s how we impose order on life, how we glean meaning out of chaos. Some rules exist to structure society; we call these laws. Some rules exist just so that some people can feel like they belong to a group, so when we can shun Lord Stanley when he doesn’t know which fork to use to eat his soufflé (that’s why you go to the club regularly, Stan old boy – keep up!). And some rules exist to keep people from murdering each other; this is where rehearsal etiquette falls.
All places of work have etiquette rules, spoken and unspoken. Famously, don’t microwave your fish in the break room, or listen to your music without headphones. Rehearsal etiquette cuts a little deeper than many workplace environment rules, however. This is because an orchestra takes 40 – 70 highly educated musicians, who have been training for years on how to play music, form their own interpretations, and be as precise as possible, and says, “Ok everyone, follow the leader.” If not for some highly structured rules, this would be an exercise in herding anal retentive cats (see academic meetings on what happens with highly educated gatherings without strict rules).
What are these rules?
So, let’s try to make it through rehearsal unscathed. We’ll group the rules into three branches: personal rules, sectional rules, and ensemble rules. Personal rules are controlled entirely by you, relating to your specific conduct and performance. Sectional rules are how you should behave in respect to the other people of your instrument/family. Ensemble rules are the big, global, really noticeable behaviors that can get you blacklisted the fastest if you ignore them. This post will discuss personal rules – stay tuned for sectional and ensemble rehearsal etiquette, because you will not want to miss those!
Personal Rules
The basics: be prepared for rehearsal. Know your part, and know how your part fits into the music. Have all of the things you need: music, instruments, shoulder rest, mutes, mallets, mouthpieces, whatever you need to make the sounds you need to make; also, always have a pencil or three with you, because you will have things to mark in your music. I personally prefer old-school wood pencils (Ticonderogas or bust!). Otherwise, use your discretion. Have water or coffee or tea in a sealable container. If you like to use stickies or something to flag parts to practice later have those with easy reach. Bring a tuner if you want. The extras are up to you!
Be on time to rehearsal. As my youth orchestra director loved to say, “Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.” You need time before rehearsal starts to unpack, tune, warm up, and settle in. Be respectful of your colleagues’ time and don’t roll in at the last second. This isn’t a party where the last person to show up is the coolest. (I’m not 100% sure how parties work, but that’s what the media has taught me.)
Be professional. Specifically, don’t show off by playing Paganini or your concerto or whatever, like the person who was inevitably in the practice room next to you at summer festivals. You aren’t there to play Paganini, you haven’t been hired to play Paganini, leave that at home. Warm up on scales, arpeggios, whatever exercises you need to get yourself ready for the music on your stand, and of course the music on your stand, but remember that this is not your personal practice time. Don’t use it as such. And last but not least, if there’s a solo in the music that isn’t yours, don’t play it. It’s not yours to play with. Just like you learned in preschool.
Now go to Part 2, and check back later for Part 3. In the meantime, bring your blood pressure back down with some plants and a cat!
Might just print these out and surreptitiously leave them on stands before our dress rehearsal on Wednesday evening. Sure, they’re still college kids, but it’s never too early to learn proper etiquette!
I’d say that’s exactly the time to be learning etiquette!