Dear Metropolitan Musician,
Nice work yesterday on our first non-sightreading rehearsal of the season. We could tell there was individual progress on some passages. We also felt like our group took a step forward with listening and ‘feeling’ the music together. The 2023-24 Metropolitan Orchestra is starting to emerge, and we know it will be a VERY strong one!
We hope you will take that goldenrod-colored calendar sheet we distributed, and align that document with the many other calendars in your life. Met typically is a Monday evening commitment, but there are several other days when we will need everyone’s presence as we ramp up for our performances. The first one of these exceptions is our Dress Rehearsal on Friday, November 3, from 6-8 pm. Thank you for prioritizing this and the other special rehearsals/performances listed on this sheet with the many other activities that are also important parts of your life.
Next week’s rehearsal falls on Yom Kippur. If you are available that evening, it will be an important one as we focus our efforts on getting ready for our sectional rehearsal the following week. On your own, please start the process of targeting those difficult passages that are challenging for you. Our team of sectional experts is excited to help you grow, and their time with you can be put to best use if you bring your questions to their session.
A word about practice tempos. Please practice at a speed you can manage! That might mean half-tempo or slower, and that is normal, even for professional musicians. There are some spots in Merry Wives, for instance, that will eventually go very fast. We had some fun with one of these spots yesterday. But, we urge you to heed the old practice adage:
Practice fast, learn slowly.
Practice slow, learn fast!
Our velocity together will gradually increase, but only when your fingers are trained carefully at YOUR tempo at home. Please don’t panic if anything seemed too fast for you yesterday!
Have a great week! Keep working and listening!
Mr. John Emanuelson (JohnEmanuelson@myso.org)
Mr. Jon Winkle (jawtbn@att.net)