Bill Gross <[email protected]> wrote: The community orchestra I enjoy membership in, has the woodwind section filled with high school and middle school band/orchestra directors. It amazes me the way they carry on during rehearsals. Their chatter away in a most happy manner, quite similar no doubt in a manner, which if their own students did the same, they would find most objectionable.
Do your rehearsals usually spread out over a large stage? One way to combat this chatter in _any_ such group is simply to arrange the seating closer together (if it can be adjusted surreptitiously). Human animals are sensitive to physical cues. No one (in American culture) would think it rude to carry on separate unrelated conversations in widely separate regions of a large room. But most would think it rude to carry on a separate conversation within the personal space of another ongoing conversation. This is largely a subconscious thing. This can be used to limit talking during rehearsals. In addition, I believe that intonation and other coordination is better in a closely packed group than in the same group loosely packed. A conductor could use that as a believable justification for changing the arrangements on stage. _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
