5 Reasons Your Rehearsals Suck (and how to fix them)
Ever feel like no one on your team wants to be at rehearsal? Ever have nights YOU don’t even want to be there? I get it. I used to hate rehearsals. I didn’t want to be there and neither did my team. I learned to love them because they’re important. But to love them I had to make some serious changes!
Here are 5 reasons why your rehearsals suck and how to fix them!
1. You’re unprepared
One reason rehearsals are bad is you’re unprepared. If you as the leader don’t take the time to learn the songs, get there early to set up, or have an idea about what transitions will be like, your team won’t either. A lack of preparation tells your team you don’t care. Which begs the question, “why should they?” If no one cares, no one wants to be there.
How to fix it: Make a point to be prepared! Know the songs backward and forward, get there early to set up, serve your team by setting up as much as you can for them too, and have plans in place for musical moments! Care about rehearsal! It’s important!
2. You’re more task driven than people driven
This is my biggest struggle in leadership. I’m very task driven. I want to get things done! That comes out a ton in rehearsals! What I’ve found; though, is when I’m too task driven it leaves people feeling as if I care more about than the job I’m doing than I do about them. It seems to them that I care more about the music than the musician. Or more about the production than the worship. I know some of you can relate!
How to fix it: Take time in rehearsal to focus on your team! Ask them about their lives. Pray for them. Love them. Pastor them. Talk about your congregation too! Discuss opportunities to minister before, during, and after worship. Put the focus back on people!
3. You’re not having any fun
Sometimes I get bored with music. Sometimes I get bored playing guitar or singing. That shows up in rehearsal. Especially when I’m playing How He Loves, Good Good Father, or Reckless Love for the 100th time. I can pretty easily miss the fun in what I’m doing.
How to fix it: Get creative! Find or create a new version of that old song. Sing a new song. Add in a new instrument. Change things up! Don’t do the same old thing.
4. You’re tired
When I’m tired, I’m pretty much useless. Rehearsal is at the end of an already long day. That doesn’t help! Sometimes I’m just out of steam and can’t get much done. That’s never good for rehearsal.
How to fix it: If you have the ability, change your schedule around so you have some free time before rehearsal. Use this time to take a break, grab a coffee, or even take a nap!
5. You’ve forgotten why you’re there
Most of the time this ruins rehearsal more than anything else: You’ve forgotten your why. It’s easy to forget when you’re doing the same thing week after week. It’s easy for rehearsal to just become about a song or about a band pursuing excellence. When it becomes about those things it’s easy to want to skip it and stay home to watch Netflix. But when you remember your why, it’s hard to want to do anything else!
How to fix it: Bring up your why every chance you get! Talk about vision and purpose! Talk about it with your team, cast vision for Sunday morning, pray over your church, celebrate wins! Remember that you’re there to minister to God and to minister to people! Rehearsal prepares you to do so!
Fixing your rehearsals will take time. Changing your mindset regarding rehearsals may take time too. But you should do it. Rehearsals matter. They prepare you to lead. They’re an opportunity for discipleship. They’re a place to worship. Capitalize on every part of them!