Using Multimedia in Rehearsals

If you have noticed the trend toward DVD accompaniments, then you probably have already purchased or are planning to purchase a TV or monitor for your rehearsal room. We did this about a year ago, but have basically used it only for DVDs. Last night, I decided it is time to start making use of this nice big screen for more than just DVD playback.

After 10 years of attending the Kempke's MusicFlorida conferences, I finally have started to emulate some of their ideas. I downloaded or scanned the covers of each anthem we were doing and then created a PowerPoint Slideshow. This way I could easily move from one song to another in rehearsal without needing to announce multiple times which one we are singing. I was also able to put little reminders beside the anthem photo, such as: ladies only in unison on pp. 6-7; lift your eyebrows so that your face smiles; lot's of energy throughout; etc.



I felt that the rehearsal went much smoother and I was not trying to remember what I had planned to discuss. I also included slides for announcements, for my devotional and for our prayer and praise reports. It is a great medium and was very helpful. The only downside was the time it took to hook up my laptop and then shut it all down and pack it away after rehearsal. I will most likely start using MediaShout soon since we have an unlimited license on it and I can use our lighting laptop that is only used for the Living Christmas Tree (Nov-Dec).

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