It's safe to say that A Far Cry is a nocturnal set. Most performing artists are, and after a performance there's remaining adrenaline to expend, celebrating, discussion, winding down to do. And this becomes our normal pattern of life. So having a 9 am rehearsal to get ready for can be tough on any day. I have to get up early enough to warm up my muscles, eat a substantial meal...well, it's not quite as intense as Michael Phelps getting up at 5 am for his 9 am practice sessions, but there are parallels. And tomorrow morning we have our first Open Rehearsal... We've talked about doing this for a while, letting the public in to see how we work on honing our ensemble playing, but doing it is another thing, and I do wish it didn't have to be first thing in the morning! We had a planning session today to decide what to work on, and how to make it accessible and interesting for an audience, while still maximizing the time because we need all the minutes we can get for our concert in the evening. We reminded each other to basically do all the things we say we want to do...work on specific ideas and define our collective decisions before moving on, speak clearly and loudly, encourage each other to try crazy and unusual possibilities, etc. So I think the open rehearsal could prove to be one of our most useful tools, crystallizing our energy and use of time in a way that will help all of our rehearsing. But it's a little like inviting a reporter to your quirky family's Fourth of July BBQ and telling your crazy aunts and uncles and cousins to be themselves, just the best versions...it should be fun and who knows what will come out of the mix and across to everyone.
