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Are your rehearsals starting to feel routine? Do your band members tune out because they can predict your next move? The secret to re-energizing your ensemble and accelerating their musical growth lies in brain science.
This interactive session bridges ensemble pedagogy and cognitive science, drawing on the groundbreaking research of Dr. Molly Gebrian, Allison Wilkinson, and Noa Kageyama. We will demystify how the brain learns, retains information, and responds to stress, translating these insights into actionable tools for the community ensemble rehearsal.
Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone! We will model unconventional—and sometimes downright silly!—rehearsal strategies that shatter routine, spark joy, and trigger deep learning. Attendees will leave with a concrete blueprint to optimize rehearsal time, decode player resistance, reduce performance anxiety, and build a vibrant community where musicians actively choose to invest their time.
Michelle Gergich
Michelle Gergich
Michelle Gergich’s lifelong passion for music began in early childhood. Her early accolades include receiving the 2008 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition’s Kenneth Geoffroy Memorial Award and debuting as a piccolo soloist with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra in 2006.
Today, Michelle is an active conductor, flutist, and music educator. She is the Music Director and Conductor of the Moorestown Community Band and teaches third- and fourth-grade instrumental music in the Mount Laurel School District. Her versatile career spans K–12 general music, band, and orchestra, as well as youth and adult community ensembles across New Jersey.
She also maintains a vibrant private lesson studio in Westampton, New Jersey, and freelances throughout the South Jersey region. Michelle’s unique pedagogical approach is backed by a rich academic foundation: a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from Rutgers University, a Bachelor of Music in Performance with a minor in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from New Jersey City University. She is dedicated to fostering the lifelong joy of community music-making across all ages.
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