It is an unfortunate fact of life that St. Olaf’s Christmas Festival, with its over 500 student musician participants, coincides with the final exam season every year without fail. In lieu of being just another choir kid complaining about Christmas Fest, I have decided to compile a list of tips and tricks for getting through this busy winter season.
1.) Attend all (or most) mass choir Fest rehearsals
This may seem obvious, but preparation now makes time for assignments and exam preparation later. Come to rehearsal. Memorize the music sooner rather than later. Your future self will thank you. If not for the actual music, come to rehearsal for the endless amounts of entertainment. We will all bond over the shared experience of Professor Bobb’s innuendos, Dr. Hibbard’s dancing, Dr. Kemper’s ADHD-friendly energy, and Dr. A’s angry face when the choir doesn’t get it right the second time. You also don’t want to be out of the loop when the Fizz posts start rolling in.
2.) Save the vocem!
Latin for “voice,” this phrase is echoed throughout rehearsals. Trusting in Dr. Hibbard, it is important to constantly drink water or tea — bonus points for including honey — refrain from screaming, have lots of Ricolas on hand, and rest your voice at rehearsals occasionally. Sopranos: You don’t need to sing every high note every time; at the very least, you can sing down the octave.
Many will ultimately lose their voice throughout November and December, but you will want to make sure you can still raise your hand in class to get those participation points. We could all use the GPA booster around late November.
3.) Don’t get sick
Easier said than done…
But you will need your full voice for Fest and your full brain power to embark on final assignments and exams. An easy way to try to avoid sickness is to get a good night’s sleep. Prioritizing sleep will not only keep you healthy, but it’s also good for final exam performance.
4.) Have good time management
My first piece of time management advice is to get some work done during Thanksgiving weekend. Because musicians are forced to return to campus only three days after our break has begun, you may as well make use of the educational environment and limited distractions. Don’t procrastinate, and front-load some homework for the week because you are going to be very busy until Sunday.
Second, traveling to Minneapolis for the weekend may be fun — and Orchestra Hall definitely has superior acoustics — but it is a wonderful advantage having Fest on campus in the Skoglund Gymnasium with finals around the corner. Travel requires time, and hotels are less conducive to getting schoolwork done. While we stay on campus, in our own beds for the weekend, you can manage the schoolwork you will inevitably have to do in a familiar environment.
I know many will also have family visiting to see the performances, myself included, and they will want to spend time with you. But don’t be afraid to tell them you will see them at home in a week after finals are over. See you, Mom! I have to study!
Hopefully this helps! As Anton Armstrong would say at the end of rehearsal, bye!
