“Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification. ”

– Martin H. Fischer

In rehearsal we focus on the balance between piling up of skills and then in performance we strive to let all of the details go and focus on the moment at hand.  

In rehearsal we’re focused on the rhythm and the notes and the text and the dynamics And and And and And….. 

Letting all of the details become one simplified idea can be so hard.  

All of the details can seem so important that engaging with the whole picture, the whole piece of music can become challenging.  

It is often only in a dress rehearsal, the time right before a performance, that we give ourselves permission to move away from the details and experience the whole piece.  

Great conductors know to check the “balance” of an ensemble.  Either they’ll ask someone to move to the far corners of a room and report what they hear to the conductor or they themselves will move away from right in front of the group and conduct from a further distance than normal to hear how the different sounds are blending in the room.  Are the lower sounds louder than the higher sounds, can we hear each individual part or are some parts not coming through? 

The simplification comes when we can create distance from the piece we’re focusing on and it truly helps our wisdom when we can share our perspectives with many folx.  In what ways is it easy for you to find a “balcony perspective” with moments in your life? In what ways do you need to ask someone else to share with you their “balcony perspective”? 

In Harmony,

Ebee Bromley