He recently posted some "rules" for running rehearsal that I think are an exellent starting point for looking at how to be effective. I want to highligh a few of his thoughts here.
"Know the music!"
His first missive is one that I, as a teacher of conducting, am constantly surprised that some young conductors don't do. It's a little "duh," but I think when conductors are starting out, they undervalue knowing the music, and tend to focus on planning their rehearsal. It's important they know the music, and that they know it deeply. It's also really important to know how to learn your music. You need a process. Sitting down in front of your computer and watching a youtube video five times won't cut it. Your process must give you a deep understanding of all the little details, as well as provide you your own personal interpretation of the message within the music.
"Play first, show what you want, then talk"
Play or sing first, show what you went, then talk if necessary. If you've studied with Rod Eichenberer (stay tuned for my interview with him next week, btw.), you are familiar with this one. I view talking and showing as two tools within one toolbox. Some conductors are excellent at using talk to elicit what they want. Some are excellent with gesture. Being great at both allows you to be the most effecient, effective, and evocative. There are some great conductors that are awful at one of the other, but they compensate for it through other areas (like hiring professional singer), and are successful despite their weakness in one area or the other.
"If you wait to work on musical details and style until you’ve solved technical problems, you’ll never work on musical details and style."
I think this one is the most interesting. Yes, it is true that you need to work on musical things early, and that you can cloak some technical work within musical/style work and as a reuslt both get better. This is true. But there is some risk there because when you focus musicality and style, and there is a lot wrong, or something is repeatedly wrong, the ensemble can view the conductor as unaware or out of touch. I've seen a lot of young conductors lose credibilty with their ensembles by focusing on style too much…"how come he's harping on us to sing that staccatto when we can't even sing the note right?!" I still think it's important, and he's not saying to work musicality and style exclusively, he's just saying "don't forget to do this," and that I agree with wholeheartedly.
There are some other ideas in his post that I think are interesting. Go to his site and check out what he wrote.
Kennethwoods.net
Joshua Bronfman says
Thanks Richard. Means a lot coming from you.
Jane Schaefermeyer says
Richard Sparks says