SHADOWS and HOPE: Echoes of Democracy and Resilience
The past few weeks have been filled with intensive preparations for the upcoming concert on November 2nd. Mornings have been dedicated to practicing and mastering all the parts as a performer. Alongside this, I’ve been working on promoting the event—sending out emails to newspapers and radio stations, creating online concert announcements, and organizing ads.
Personnel Challenges and Last-Minute Adjustments
As with any production, unexpected challenges have arisen. I had to replace two players: one due to a last-minute surgery, and another who took the gig but then ghosted us. Rather than risk a potential no-show, I decided it was better to bring in someone more reliable. These last-minute personnel changes are always time-consuming, but necessary for ensuring the performance goes smoothly.
I also spent time working closely with one of the composers to refine their piece, ensuring that it was notated clearly and aligned with the conductor’s beat patterns. Inconsistent beaming had some musicians counting in 3+2+3/4, while others were reading in 3+4+3+3+3/16, which would have caused chaos during rehearsals. Notation needs to be clean, clear, and in sync with the conductor—especially when the piece is marked in 4/4.
Revising My Own Parts
As always, preparing for a concert involves refining your own work as well. I made several small adjustments to my own parts—correcting mistakes, adding dynamics, and clarifying phrasing to make things easier for the performers. I’m incredibly grateful to the musicians for their keen eyes and helpful feedback. It’s common to encounter small issues when a piece is being performed for the first time, but the more you can address these before rehearsals, the more time you have to focus on the music itself.
The Value of Feedback
One of the key lessons I’ve learned over the years is the importance of staying open to feedback. You don’t always have to implement every suggestion, but taking the time to listen and engage with performers often improves clarity and leads to a better performance. At the end of the day, music is a collaborative art form, and incorporating feedback can be the difference between a good performance and a great one.
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Tags: in progress