Planning programs is a huge task! From picking the music, to preparing scripts and choreography, to fine-tuning the music and performance expectations, getting ready for a program can be a little scary at first. If you break it up into smaller chunks, it doesn't seem nearly as overwhelming.
Check out the first post in this series here about planning backwards and Grade Level Practices.
It happens in music rooms and performance spaces everywhere. Music teachers work tirelessly to teach performance pieces, add extra special moments in the show, put up decorations, print off programs. In the blink of an eye, it's the week before the show!
After weeks and weeks of prep, students get on the risers for the first time and then... they lose their minds!
In my experience, it's best to practice on the risers inside the classroom, one class at a time. After doing this for several years, it became affectionately known as Riser Week. Here are my tips and tricks for practicing on the risers.
Riser Week
Two weeks before the performance is a sacred space in the calendar. You have very limited time left and it may seem like you have a lot to cover.
Do you run through the whole show or do you hit the highlights and hope for the best? Sing one song ten times or go through the complicated choreography?
I have found that the week before we go into the performance space is a great time to bring a set (or two) of risers into the classroom to practice. If you have risers in your class full time, you may be way ahead of the game at this point!
Riser Rules
My rules for risers are pretty basic:
1. Toes on the tape.
2. Don't turn around.
I put on my serious face and tell the kids in no uncertain terms - you will not play around on the risers or you will not get to stand on the risers. There's no three strikes; it's one and done.
And then I stick to that. During the first practice someone (usually a new student that doesn't know me yet) tests that theory and learns the hard way. I move them to a standing spot on the side of the risers (with compassion) and say, "I hope you can fix it so you don't have to stand down here at the performance."
Toes on the Tape
I have 3 pieces of masking tape on each step of my risers (your risers may be longer or shorter; you do you!). I have students put their toes on the tape, but not hanging over the edge. This seems to work wonders keeping them in the correct spot left-to-right and front-to-back.
Don't Turn Around
My second rule (don't turn around) is in place because I have a shallow set of risers. You obviously won't have this rule if you have the beautiful giant-sized risers. (cue the angel voices) In order to keep my students out of each others' personal space, I say, "You can look behind you if someone is passing something to you, but don't turn around."
Riser Placement
Obviously, I separate the behavior issues and I try to put the more helpful students near ones that need help, but I also consider the sound when placing students on the risers. In a choir situation, you might have time to use voicing to your advantage, but I find that simply making sure that I separate clumps of students who are hesitant with pitch helps tremendously.
The rest of the Riser Week rehearsal
Students with speaking parts will learn how to get off the risers to come to the front for their speaking part. We generally do not have time to sing through every song in its entirety, so we sing the first verse or find an appropriate place to stop.
Side note: I teach all of my students to "turn your shoulders" to allow another student to slip past them off the risers. It works well and keeps me from having to separate students on the risers based on their parts.
Students with special parts like ribbon dancing or holding up props or playing an instrument will mimic their role as we walk "fast-forward" through our show. For example, my ribbon dancers (in the Veterans Day show) will pretend to pick up their ribbon from the bucket, pretend to do their movements, and then pretend to return the ribbon to the ribbon helper at the end of their song.
Usually there is barely enough time to "walk-through" all the songs and special parts before it's time to practice how to get off the risers and go back to class. Shew! I'm tired just thinking about it.
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