Journey From First Rehearsal to Concert

When attending any type of performance, audience members tend to forget the steps leading up to the final product. So, here is the process a musician has to go through before a concert.

Step 1: Receive sheet music
Step 2: Sight read repertoire with entire ensemble
Step 3: Practice your part on your own time

• Run through piece
• Mark any accidentals, key changes, and tempo changes
• Set metronome to a slower tempo than written and run through again
• Continually increase metronome speed until it is up to concert tempo
• Play along with a professional recording of the piece

Step 4: Come prepared to rehearsal so that you can focus on blending with the other musicians
Step 5: Hold a sectional with your respective section to fix any discrepancies and ensure cohesiveness of dynamics between members
Step 6: Attend dress rehearsal at the concert venue

• Pay attention to how long notes resonate after cut off
• Adjust dynamics depending on the acoustics of the concert hall
• Make any last notes on your sheet music 

Step 7: Put on concert dress and arrive early to the venue (Time dependent on conductor)
Step 8: Performance time! Warm up, do your best, and have fun!

Here is a video of the Empire State Youth Orchestra performing a piece with an El Sistema orchestra in Lisbon, Portugal in June 2016. It is a perfect example of how orchestral music can be fun!