Good music schools teach student conductors the same way all good teachers teach students - they help them improve their weaknesses. I hold a Masters and Doctoral Degree as a choral conductor. My doctoral teacher, in particular, required me to video tape each of my rehearsal and watch what I had done, and it made an immense difference in my efficiency during rehearsals.
Some students are good at the organizational aspects but need work on musical and or leadership issues; such students hopefully get what they need from their teachers. I was my doctoral teacher's equal or superior in many aspects of musicianship and conducting in the opinion of many of those who sang for us both, but I learned more useful things from him than from any of my other conducting teachers because he was, as a teacher, concerned with helping me improve my own weaknesses and not trying to remake me in his own image. Such teachers are rare and to be highly praised, and I was fortunate to have him, and to have also had others like him along the way. One size does not fit all when it comes to any private instruction. Your #7 below is particularly important. Although it's OK for a conductor to ask for eyes, it is his job to provide something worth looking at, and most amateur conductors and quite a few professionals as well have their heads buried in their scores. If one cannot conduct a piece of standard repertoire mostly from memory, one ought to relinquish the stick to someone who can. My 9-year-old can follow a score and wave his hand in time with the music. Last but not least, amateur groups do not necessarily have amateur conductors. I don't believe it's a good place for an amateur group to save money. -S- > -----Original Message----- > From: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > du] On Behalf Of Larry Jellison > Sent: Saturday, April 22, 2006 4:29 PM > To: horn@music.memphis.edu > Subject: [Hornlist] Conductor's Education > > I writing as a music-uneducated horn playing amateur. > What do music schools teach student music conductors? > Do they teach the following things: > > 1) Using rehearsal time efficiently. Do they teach > conductors to make several mental notes through the > run-through, so that after several minutes of performance the > conductor can mention several items that he wants changed > (all at one time). Most conductors of amateur groups stop > everytime they want to make a single comment. > > 2) Comment only when productive to do so. Some conductors > stop when the 3rd horn clams the high G, as if a derisive > comment by the conductor will correct this. > > 3) Balance the sound volume within sections and between > sections. (Why is this seldom done?) > > 4) Provide leadership in achieving a unified style, with no > player egotistically sticking out. > > 5) Encouraging section principals to exercise leadership of > their respective sections. > Watching to see that new members are welcomed and cared for. > > 6) Seeking out new or rarely played compositions that both > players and audience can enjoy. > > 7) Using his presence on the podium to inspire and instill > passion in the performance. Many conductors complain that > the musicians don't watch them enough, but this could be > largely corrected if the conductors provided a towering and > charismatic presence (rather than being only a human metronome.) > > 8) Not embarrassing the ensemble during concerts with > excessively promotional or solicitous pitches to the audience. > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection > around http://mail.yahoo.com > _______________________________________________ > post: horn@music.memphis.edu > unsubscribe or set options at > http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/steve%40fridays > computer.com > _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
