Things I say in rehearsal

  1. If you don’t give your best effort now, you will not be able to when you become a pro. Be professional today.
  2. Your instrument is just equipment. Music comes from the heart and the brain. Don’t expect your instrument to do something you are feeling and thinking.
  3. Every time you play, whether it is a rehearsal or performance, someone may be hearing you for the first time. What first impression do you want to make?
  4. Playing correct notes and rhythms is not the goal. It is the starting point.
  5. Use more air to play longer phrases, not louder notes.
  6. You cannot simultaneously talk and listen. Don’t talk.
  7. Melody is the most important element. It is your
    responsibility to ensure the audience can hear it clearly.
  8. If every part is marked forte, everyone cannot play forte.
  9. Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes better.

10. You do not practice a part to learn it.
You learn it and then practice to master it.