TIMING THE TUNE: THE ROLE OF REHEARSAL DURATION IN ACHIEVING QUALITY THEATRE PERFORMANCES IN THE KISII UNIVERSITY MUSIC FESTIVAL 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33153/artistic.v7i1.7886Keywords:
rehearsal, performance, festival, musicAbstract
This study examines the relationship between rehearsal duration and performance quality across different music genres in the Kisii University Music Festival 2025. Guided by Deliberate Practice Theory (Ericsson, 1993), the study explores how structured and purposeful use of rehearsal time contributes to musical excellence. Specifically, it seeks to determine how much rehearsal time is sufficient to produce quality performances, whether some genres require more rehearsal time than others, and how performers and directors perceive the adequacy of rehearsal time. A qualitative research approach will be employed, using purposive sampling to select directors and performers actively involved in festival preparations and snowball sampling to identify additional key informants with relevant experience. Data will be collected through interviews, questionnaires, and performance assessments, and analyzed thematically and statistically to establish patterns linking rehearsal duration to performance outcomes. The findings are expected to provide insights into effective rehearsal time management across diverse musical genres, thereby enhancing performance planning and quality in university music festivals.
Downloads
References
Adongo, E. (2020). Pedagogical strategies for developing musicians’ understanding of styles and conceptual knowledge of contemporary African choral music [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Florida.
Achieng’ Andang’o, E. (2019). Africanising the music classroom through choral and instrumental ensembles: The Kenya Music Festival and Nairobi Orchestra as music education resources. In E. Akuno (Ed.), Music education in Africa (pp. 201–215). Routledge.
Drake, C., & Palmer, C. (2000). Skill acquisition in music performance: Relations between planning and temporal control. Cognition, 74(1), 1–32, DOI: 10.1016/S0010-0277(99)00061-X.
Drewal, M. T. (1991). The state of research on performance in Africa. African Studies Review, 34(3), 1–64, DOI: 10.2307/524625.
Gordon, S. (2005). Mastering the art of performance: A primer for musicians. Oxford University Press.
Hill, M. (2023). Improving the rehearsal experience. The Choral Journal, 64(4), 46–56.
Kinyua, H. (2019). The effects of pre-performance research and analysis on vocal music performance [Unpublished manuscript].
Klickstein, G. (2009). The musician's way: A guide to practice, performance, and wellness. Oxford University Press.
Maina, C. W. (2012). The repertoire of Kayamba Africa: Contemporary reworking of traditional musics in Nairobi [Master’s thesis]. University of Nairobi.
Nelson, P. N. (2023). Formal training in musical instruments and effective performance on stage. American Journal of Music and Performing Arts, 5(1), 1–10, DOI: 10.47672/ajmpa.1324.
Nketia, J. H. K. (1974). The musical heritage of Africa. Daedalus, 103(2), 151–161.
Palmer, C. (1997). Music performance. Annual Review of Psychology, 48(1), 115–138, DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.48.1.115.
Silvey, B. A. (2014). Strategies for improving rehearsal technique: Using research findings to promote better rehearsals. Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, 32(2), 11–17, DOI: 10.1177/8755123314521030.
Williamon, A., & Valentine, E. (2000). Quantity and quality of musical practice as predictors of performance quality. British Journal of Psychology, 91(3), 353–376, DOI: 10.1348/000712600161871.
Adongo, E. (2020). Pedagogical strategies for developing musicians’ understanding of styles and conceptual knowledge of contemporary African choral music [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Florida.
Addaquay, A. P. (2025, June). Sounding identity: A technical analysis of singing styles in the traditional music of Sub-Saharan Africa. Arts, 14(3), 68. MDPI.
Chan, T. L. (2020). Leadership strategies in conducting rehearsals within training orchestra contexts.
Culbert, M. E. (1974). The effects of using a portion of the rehearsal time for developing skills in describing music on the performance level and musical achievement of high school band students. Temple University.
Dordzro, J. D. (2017). Impact of Ghanaian basic school band directors’ rehearsal strategies on students’ performance.
Drewal, M. T. (1991). The state of research on performance in Africa. African Studies Review, 34(3), 1–64.
Ericsson, K. A. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406.
Hill, M. (2023). Improving the rehearsal experience. The Choral Journal, 64(4), 46–56.
Kimtai, K. A. (2022). Influence of instrumental proficiency on aural acuity amongst secondary school music students in Nairobi County, Kenya [Doctoral dissertation]. Kenyatta University.
Kotchenruther, M. J. (1998). A descriptive study of the rehearsal priorities of middle school string teachers. University of Michigan.
Krampe, R. T., & Ericsson, K. A. (1996). Maintaining excellence: Deliberate practice and elite performance in young and older pianists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 125(4), 331–359.
Nelson, P. N. (2023). Formal training in musical instruments and effective performance on stage. American Journal of Music and Performing Arts, 5(1), 1–10.
Nyandieka, B. B. (2024). Competency of music production graduates from Kenyan tertiary institutions to produce local music: Perspectives of graduates, music producers, and musicians [Doctoral dissertation]. Kabarak University.
Okeyo, D. A., & Shitandi, D. L. K. (2020). Relationship between the use of the Kodály approach of teaching music and primary teacher trainees’ performance in music examination in Nandi County, Kenya. American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research, 225–230.
Reid, S. (2002). Preparing for performance. In Musical performance: A guide to understanding (pp. 102–112). Cambridge University Press.
Shali, S. (2019). Research on the rehearsal method of musical performances in music performance is based on the combination of performing and learning.
Wambugu, D. M. (2012). Kenyan art music in Kenya's high school general music curriculum: A rationale for folk-song-based choral music. University of Florida.
Williamon, A., & Valentine, E. (2000). Quantity and quality of musical practice as predictors of performance quality. British Journal of Psychology, 91(3), 353–376.
Yulianti, N. P., & Soemaryatmi, S. (2022).Creative Process of Halang Dance. ARTISTIC : International Journal of Creation and Innovation, 3(1), 46-65, DOI: 10.33153/artistic.v3i1.4431.
Zhukov, K. (2009). Effective practising: A research perspective. Australian Journal of Music Education, 1, 3–12.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Josephat Nehemia Nyangoga
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright
Authors who publish with Artistic agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
