12/7: Psalm 100
I think Friday went okay for me; it was a really good prep for the final, and helped me focus in on what I need to fix.
My first run-through was pretty rough, and I wasn't pleased with how I performed compared to how I had been doing while practicing by myself...but I suppose that's usually the case. I was having a hard time using gestures that were both expressive and accurate; I often sacrificed accuracy to focus on dynamics or some such nuance. From that run-through, it was noted that my rebounds weren't as released as they could be if I used my whole arm rather than using mostly my forearm. I seem to get that comment a lot, and I think it's just a matter of taking a moment to think to myself before I start, because once I start, I get easily into a pattern so I can focus on other things, so if I start out using mostly my forearm, that's how the rest of the piece will be conducted. But if I start out correctly, using my whole arm and having a good rebound, I'm confident that it will carry through to the rest of the piece.
The second run-through went better for me. I got into the right pattern pretty close to the beginning, so that was one less thing to worry about, and I was able to focus on being more accurate and expressive. The comment given to me at the end of this run-through was that I often rely too heavily on my facial expressions to lead the choir, which are sometimes not strong enough, and I need to work some stronger gestured into my repertoire. I will definitely work on this for the final.
Thanks to everyone for their comments, both verbal and written!!