Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with rehearsal

SWM seeks casual encounters with Piano - you must host!

Lutoslawski — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:49:59 -0800

Where in Portland, OR might I go to practice piano...for free/cheap?? I am a pianist without a piano. I have a decent keyboard, but it's just not the same at all. I'd really like to find somewhere I could practice just a couple times a week on a real piano. Preferably, I'd like to do this for free; though I might be able to scrounge up some pocket change.

I've had access to a piano my entire life (home, college), but now that I have graduated college I find myself piano-less - and I'm poverty poor so I can't afford to buy one; nor do I want to acquire a free one on Craigslist, as most would require a lot of maintenance - and besides, I don't really have anywhere to put a piano at the moment anyway.

Any suggestions? Do universities/community colleges ever offer some sort of "practice room membership" thing? Do you know of any rehearsal spaces with good pianos that aren't too spendy??

Thanks in advance everyone!!

How to direct an opera

roll truck roll — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:26:19 -0800

What's the difference between directing a play and stage-directing an opera? I've wanted to work on an opera for years, and it looks like the opportunity might arise in the next several months, working with a composer-friend in a new company. So, what can I learn in the next six months or so to make me ready to work on an opera?

Some background: I've been involved with the theater on some level or other for my entire life. I took a few directing classes in college. I've directed a handful of plays and writer-directored a few projects, all with no budget and very small casts. I'm not a big table-work person; I'd rather get people moving around onstage as early in the process as possible. I come in with a basic floor-plan and blocking mapped out for some key moments, but most of what happens between and around those key moments happens in the process of messing around and experimenting.

I'd like to think I'm pretty competent at text analysis. I do as much research as I can before the first rehearsal, and have the text divided into workable sections with some clear objectives laid out for each section. I try to plan rehearsals pretty meticulously and let people know what we'll be working on ahead of time, so as not to waste anyone's time. Directors whose writings have had a big impact on my approach to directing include William Ball, Peter Brook, Anne Bogart.

But really, and despite the fact that I spend a lot of time around opera singers, I don't actually have much idea what takes place in an opera rehearsal. I hear stories of misguided theater directors dragging singers through useless activities that don't contribute anything to the final product, and I very much do not want to be that director. What will singers put up with?

In case it's not obvious, the piece we're talking about is modern and very minimal. It'll be a small cast - about 5 principals and a chorus of 4-8 people. The orchestra will probably consist of one or two people on various instruments. My friend will be the music director. There won't be any union people or anything like that.

I know the most obvious answer - sit in on some rehearsals, which I definitely plan to do. What else can I do? What can I read? What can I watch?

Thanks a lot.

I'm looking for suggestions for wedding rehearsal dinner restaurants in the Towson, MD area

jeditanuki — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:41:00 -0800

I'm looking for suggestions for wedding rehearsal dinner restaurants in the Towson, MD area I'm calling upon the hive mind for some suggestions for a venue for dinner after our wedding rehearsal on Oct 2nd. The criteria:

* As good a balance of tasty and cheap as possible.
* Vicinity to the Padonia/York area of Towson, MD
* Alcohol, while not a necessity, would be very nice
* Accommodation for about 20 people (give or take a few)
* Cuisine is secondary, but something tame for unadventurous palates would probably be best

Any suggestions would be great. I'm particularly interested in any personal experiences. Thanks in advance!

Looking for a rehearsal dinner location in Toronto

The Card Cheat — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 12:02:46 -0800

I'm looking for a good restaurant for a rehearsal dinner in Toronto (more inside). More specifically, I'm looking for a downtown location that's classy but still kind of informal and able to seat approximately 27 people. Budget-wise, we're hoping to keep it to about $30 per person. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

I've got a lot of pent up drumming. Where can I release it by the hour in Manhattan?

jeffxl — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 10:06:35 -0800

Where can I rent a room and a drum set by the hour in Manhattan? I'm looking to play the drums regularly again. I used to do this when I lived in Minneapolis quite easily since owning a drumset/affording a personal studio were all non-issues. Here in the land of small apartments and big bucks, doing the same thing isn't possible.

So I'm looking to re-create my previous situation, only without the owning part, and now by the hour. Manhattan would be best, specifically the UWS or Midtown, but I'd be willing to consider other options.

So do any of you mefites know of any great places that offer such a service? Playing a drum set that hasn't recently been beaten by wild chimpanzees is a huge bonus (read: not a piece of shit).

Sub question: Do I have to bring my own cymbals, or is everything provided?

We need a place to jam.

jsavimbi — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 11:15:45 -0800

My friend's band needs a rehearsal space in or around Jacksonville FL, for about a week, starting the week of July 7th. Does anyone know of or have a place? Four guys and equipment, nothing fancy. Their other place cancelled on them at the last minute.

How do I solve my band's residential noise problem?

cortex — Mon, 28 Feb 2005 21:11:19 -0800

I'm in a band, and we practice in our drummer's basement. He has a next-door neighbor who can't stand our noise. Do we soundproof? Do we relocate? Details:

We've been practicing in Ed-the-drummer's basement for about 16 months now, off-and-on. Mostly on. [We spent two or three months practicing in the basement of a friend of Ed's, but stopped doing so for a variety of reasons including lousy security.]

In that span, we've acquired a bassist and bigger, better amps. We've also dealt with occasional letters from the neighbor, who has become increasingly impatient with our band noise. Though we only practice two weeknights a week (with probably one of those nights off every couple weeks, on average), and constrain practice to a 7:30-9:30 PM window, we've still gotten increasing friction from her, and the kicker has been a couple visits from summoned cops in the last month.

We need to do something. The two solutions that seem obvious to me are (1) moving to a rented rehearsal space of some sort or (2) soundproofing the shit out of Ed's basement.

Both will cost money, obviously. However, I don't really know how much is fair/reasonable for monthly practice space (nor do I know what sort of security/etc a band can and should expect from such an arrangement).

On the other hand, the basement is something like 20x20 feet squared, ceilings about 7 feet high with exposed wooden rafters, cement walls, and several windows set near the top of the walls at ground level. Occasionally damp, as Portland basements tend to be. If we're going to spend the money to soundproof the basement, we need to do a pretty damn good job, because the neighbor lives next door and is becoming uncompromisingly psycho about this.