SBOUpfront: Planning a Performance

By Robert Brown

All conductors face the issue of planning for their next performance. I constantly mull over questions like "How many weeks do I have?" and "How am I going to tackle this issue?" In planning from year to year, I always look for new and interesting ideas to help in the preparation for my next year's performances. I have found the answer in the concept of the "bowtie" rehearsal plan; X, Y, and Z axes (plural for axis, not the lumberjack tool); and stimulus variation.