According to Preston Smith (no relation), the core aspects of comedy improv include:
1. Listen – As simple as this seems, it is probably one of the most difficult skills to master. Listening will free you from having to think of what you are going to say a head of time.
2. Agreement (Yes, And…) – Assuming you have listened, you will be able to agree with what was said AND add information. Agreement is what allows a scene to progress!
3. Team Work (Group Mind) – Improv is a vast mechanism of give and take and support. The group mind is greater then the individual.
… students can get a diploma in music from a reputable institution without ever receiving any training in rehearsal technique…. It’s just not a thing.
It is for the conductor to decide, but how can a conductor know? Some of this boils down to expertise, having a plan, and having an easy-to-read clock to help stay on the plan. That said, it’s helpful to have some idea of what the norms look like, perhaps with a heuristic or model or guidepost.
. There are at least three categories of activity to think through on paper when aiming at professional reflection:
What worked/didn’t work this time?
What should we work on next rehearsal/class?
What should I work on in the meantime to improve my rehearsal technique/teaching?
"The above ideas were hot research topics and were much debated in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Now they seem to be commonly accepted as truisms."
I have always appreciated Kyle Gann’s website for its resources for Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3. Recently, I took time to investigate some of the other resources he freely provides, including his own compositions, as well as links to his many books and albums. Among the resources on the site is a terrific “Chronology of the Symphony: 1730-2019,” listing years and major symphonies composed and/or premiered that year.
