Hosting a Region Rehearsal Can Help You and Your Program Andrew Veiss South Plainfield Middle School aveiss[at]yahoo.com
Hosting a region rehearsal can be an awesome experience for you and your program. It helps to expose you and your students to a top-notch ensemble and it will enable you to gain some highquality professional development. I have hosted the Region II Intermediate Band and Orchestra Auditions and the first rehearsal in South Plainfield from 2003 until 2015 and I have hosted the Middle School Honors Band in 2022. Hosting has done great things for my program. Below you can find some of the benefits of hosting a rehearsal. Many times, the ensembles can use any open space. For rehearsals, we use my band room for the concert band and the cafeteria for the orchestra. Ensembles can rehearse in auditoriums, cafeterias, open atriums and any moderately large space your school can provide. I work closely with my district’s administration to ensure that we can continue to host every year because they see the benefit to our school and our community.
ticipate in the ensembles when our school hosts a rehearsal. If the rehearsals are in other locations, I usually try to help the parents by organizing car pools. Also, when hosting an audition, students feel more comfortable auditioning because they are not in a strange place and they have “home-field advantage.” More students might be convinced to audition because of the increased comfort level and the close proximity to their homes. 4. Students can receive community service hours Students who participate in CCD, scouts, and other organizations need community service in order to complete the requirements for their programs. When our school hosts auditions and rehearsals, students sign up to help run audition sheets, sell food items, set up rehearsals areas and help clean up after the rehearsal. In turn, they gain hours for their community service. This also helps the conductors, managers, and site hosts because it is just a little less work.
1. Directors can get Professional Development hours. When you host a rehearsal, you can receive up to ten hours of professional development. If you need a certificate, please contact your region president. He or she should be more than happy to provide a document if you request it. Additionally, I always pick up many new techniques for conducting and running rehearsals just by observing another teacher. There is no better way to learn new and exciting ways to develop your band, orchestra, or chorus than to see another conductor at work!
5. Fundraising! Hosting a rehearsal gives you the opportunity to sell snacks, drinks, and other food to help raise money for your program. I usually have parents donate food and drinks and volunteer to sell. Our music program receives 100% of the profits from fundraising and our program easily raises hundreds of dollars with minimum effort.
2. Students can observe rehearsals! When we have hosted a region band or jazz band rehearsal, it has been an incredible educational tool. The students who observed these rehearsals brought fresh enthusiasm and a new focus to my rehearsals because they have the opportunity to see an ensemble with the perfect instrumentation, optimal rehearsal conditions, and excellent discipline. In turn, they share the rehearsal techniques with their fellow students and it increases the productivity of my rehearsals.
6. Brings positive press for you and your school, and administrators can observe rehearsals. In the current political climate, we need to do all we can to advocate for our programs and any “good news” will help promote your program. I usually do a press release to the local papers promoting our students participation in the auditions and the ensembles. Every time my students and I participate in a region event, I forward a program to my principals and my superintendent with my students’ accomplishments and my contributions highlighted. In order to successfully advocate for my program, I do all I can to share as much positive press with my administration and my community so that they see the value of music education in South Plainfield. I have had administrators come to the auditions and
3. Convenience for your students who are auditioning and/or rehearsing It is very convenient for my students who audition and parTEMPO
30
MAY 2022
