Behind the scenes: This is what a musical rehearsal at the MSA is like

What actually happens during a musical rehearsal? From the outside, you only see the end result — the performance. But the real work takes place in the weeks and months leading up to it. At the Ahrensburg Musical Theatre School, the rehearsal phase is not a necessary evil, but the very heart of the learning process.

Rehearsals as a learning space

A musical rehearsal is simultaneously a singing lesson, dance training and acting workshop — all with a specific goal: a joint performance. This focus on the goal creates a special form of intrinsic motivation. Children practise not because they have to, but because they want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Rehearsals within the ensemble develop skills that are difficult to achieve in one-to-one lessons: listening to one another, responding, and taking responsibility for the joint performance. When twenty children sing, dance and tell a story at the same time, something emerges that research describes as a collective flow experience.

From idea to performance

An MSA production goes through several phases: casting, scene work, musical rehearsals, choreography, bringing the production together and run-through rehearsals. Different skills are emphasised in each phase — and each phase offers its own learning opportunities.

Scene work develops empathy and the ability to see things from different perspectives. Musical rehearsals develop breathing technique and song interpretation in a real-life context. The choreography combines body awareness with musical expression. And the run-through rehearsals bring it all together — an experience that is unique in its complexity and intensity.

Professional standards, a child-friendly atmosphere

Our rehearsals are based on professional working methods — not because we expect perfection, but because children sense the seriousness of the endeavour and respond to it with commitment. Guidance from internationally active stage professionals ensures that what we rehearse is in line with current stage practice. At the same time, the atmosphere remains encouraging: mistakes are part of the process, and the feedback is always constructive.