Rehearsal Starts Before Rehearsal Starts

 

Picture this. Rehearsal starts at 7:00 pm and the band and vocalists leisurely stroll in for the next 15 minutes. Once everybody is finally there, it’s time for a devotion and prayer time which is choppy and unprepared and doesn’t really make sense. By the time the devotion is over and you’ve prayed it’s almost 7:45. So everyone gets up and starts plugging in and tuning up when it becomes obvious there is a problem with the bass channel because it’s either humming or not working at all.

So after troubleshooting for another 10 minutes it’s been an hour since rehearsal started and nothing productive has actually gone on.

Unfortunately, this is scenario is more common than most would like to admit. However it doesn’t have to be this way. It is possible to run a smooth and effective rehearsal but it means understanding that rehearsal starts before rehearsal starts.

Don’t Just Practice, Practice Right! (Personal Practice) Part 2b

Imagine walking into the church building for rehearsal, plugging in your instrument and flying through the next 1 1/2 to 2 hours having a blast playing with a great sounding band that worships passionately.

This scene is IMPOSSIBLE to accomplish without EVERY individual on the platform coming personally prepared and having effectively practiced on their own before rehearsal. (Note: even one person not coming prepared dramatically affects the entire team)

Coming prepared to rehearsal is essential if you want to enjoy your time together, play well as an individual and a group as well as help serve your congregation with joy and without distraction.

Help Your Team Do Their Best (Worship Rehearsal Prep) Part 2a

People really want to do their best. They want to come in prepared, play well and leave having enjoyed the night and ready for the coming Sunday. However, it’s not all in their hands to come prepared for rehearsal.

If you are going to ask your teammates to take their own personal time to prepare for rehearsal by actively listening and then learning to play or sing the music then there are some essential things that you are responsible for.

Put The Instrument Down! (Preparing to Practice) Part 1

Maybe you’ve heard the phrase that “Practice is Personal” meaning that learning a song and preparing it on your own time is what is expected before people come to rehearsal. That is something that I’ve always felt was essential to helping make a rehearsal go smoothly and therefore Sunday more likely to be distraction free and more fun and meaningful for everyone involved.

For years I made this part of our expectations for being part of the team and told new members about it. Over time I found that telling people it was their responsibility to come prepared only had a nominal effect until one day I had a “lightbulb” moment (cue Despicable Me).

I had told people they needed to practice on their own personal time but never explained what exactly that meant, looked like or how to do it.