When a theater troupe sets forth on the journey from its first rehearsal to opening night, it does so as a ship on the open sea taking on water. Perhaps this analogy seems macabre but were it not the case there would be no need to rehearse. After twenty years of music directing I have never stepped onto the podium or sat behind the piano at a first rehearsal and discovered that everything was performance-ready. In those rare cases when ensemble comes to the first rehearsal with a solid command of every pitch and rhythm a music director is presented not with the opportunity to breathe easy, but with the responsibility to seek out the highest levels of refinement and artistry. Accordingly comments like “That’s good enough” or “nobody will know the difference” are not only inconceivable, they are the sentiments of an artistic reprobate. We owe it to our ensemble, to the composers and to ourselves to inspire our players to achieve their highest possible artistic level. Furthermore, we must leave them with not only an understanding of the specific requirements of the current score, but with a better mastery of key musical concepts so that they can apply them in future artistic endeavors. It is up to us, those captaining the ship, to give our singers TKWHAT so that TKWHAT.

When faced with myriad musical problems to solve and artistic objectives to achieve young, or otherwise inexperienced music directors often scurry around their ship trying to fix every hole, tighten every screw, and polish every tiny detail on their own. Although this can result in a successful performance, it seldom teaches singers how to solve problems on their own. While studying with Donald Neuen at the Eastman School of Music, I often heard him say, “Teach concepts!” Unfortunately, I have too often fallen into the trap of teaching specifics and not working to give my singers the tools they need to accomplish many of the requisite artistic tasks themselves.

To be fair, the buck stops at the podium (or the piano bench). It is a music director’s responsibility to develop and present good artistic choices to the cast. Then they must instill a desire to execute all of the artistic concepts required. This is a big job in and of itself but it isn’t everything. As music directors we must deal with the specifics, but if we can include information that facilitates a broader understanding of the process, we are doing our cast a far greater service. And better yet, our program as a whole will benefit in the years to come.

We all make mistakes, and we all forget to do things from time to time; we hope that we are reminded kindly of our errors and guided back onto the right track. That said, we must remember that making music is a privilege, and a team effort. Although the music director might be an inspiring coach, singers must think, study, and be leaders. When every singer endeavors to sing each note as beautifully as possible, make every word clear and meaningful, and become a true partner in the pursuit of artistic excellence, the music director will be able to shape the cumulative effort into a truly magical moment. We must embrace the challenge presented by the composers whose music we sing, knowing that when we take the personal initiative to work diligently as members of a team we enjoy one of life’s greatest gifts.

Every artistic voyage begins under stress, but with this strategy we can improve the conditions under which our journey proceeds. And, rather than being the captain whose crew is lashed to the oars we can be the leader of a team of bright independent thinkers who work collaboratively.