The Conductor as Yogi: Be In It

“We are in a zone, having let go of the outer world, and now experiencing a feeling of unity.”

Nicolai Bachman

In the final days before last week’s opening concert of the season, I reminded singers often:  “Don’t miss the concert.” No, I wasn’t talking about forgetting to show up—I was making the point that it is entirely possible to go through a performance with the brain on technical accuracy and “getting through a piece,” as though this was the goal of making music.

Singers are interesting humans, freely sharing their gifts and (most days) willing to let us press them in new directions or challenge them to think beyond the technical, the obvious, the “correct.”  But whether young or not-so-young, volunteer or professional, they are conditioned to meet expectations, “get it right,” and be successful.  And so are we.

In the journey of learning music, getting it right can show up as a checklist mentality.  These measures today, memory of that section next week, and in our more expansive moments, understanding this text and creating “that sound” which bring a piece closer to its potential.  Done.

But if we plan well, our checklist also includes reminders throughout the process to “be in the moment” – to really listen and feel what we are creating in sound with the people around us right now, in real time.  This is a kind of concentration or mindfulness that can lead to what psychology calls “flow” and in a related way, what yoga calls samādhi, states of absorption and unity that are powerful human experiences.

To get to a state of musical absorption in performance, technical accuracy (pitches and rhythms, cutoffs, matched vowels, and so on) must become embedded so it can serve a higher goal.  This requires enough preparation time, determined by the ensemble’s ability and the challenge of the music, and a focused approach to really good teaching.  It also requires us to teach that correctness is not the endgame; it is the doorway to experiencing the music without distraction.  For singers and witnessers (the audience) to be absorbed in the music, to really “listen,” they can’t be distracted by musical carelessness or confusion or a lack of confidence.  Our conductor awareness, humility, and attention to planning and adapting, as needed, will help prepare singers technically, in a timely way, so they can more likely be in the moment and bring the audience with them.

When our choirs debriefed our performance at the rehearsal following the concert, one student said he found himself remembering that this performance, with this group of people, on this piece, with this audience, was never going to happen again.  It was a singular event for him which made the experience more powerful.  Another student, new to our program, said this was the first concert in her life that she was fully prepared and not stressed.  She felt the music deeply, holistically, for the first time, and that was a moving experience for her.

We cannot predict or control what people think or feel, nor would we want to.  But we can provide the opportunity for singers and audiences to have a respite from busy lives and a challenging world, even for brief moments.  To “be in it,” where “it” is good, universal, and powerfully felt.  At the end of a long day, let this remind us that the work we do is worth it and that we are contributing, soulfully, to something greater.

Dr. Ramona Wis is the Mimi Rolland Endowed Professor in the Fine Arts, Professor of Music, and Director of Choral Activities at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois and the author of The Conductor as Leader:  Principles of Leadership Applied to Life on the Podium.  Dr. Wis is a 500-hour CYT (Certified Yoga Teacher) and a certified Brain Longevity® Specialist, a research-based certification on yoga and integrative medicine for brain health and healthy aging. Reach her at: or ramonawis.com.

Check out:

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, https://a.co/d/1PYE8bT

The Path of the Yoga Sutras (source of opening quote), https://a.co/d/0fE1ZHF

To learn more about the way yoga sees the role of concentration towards the goal of complete absorption, this is a helpful article, from which you might find inspiration for the choral practice:

https://www.yogafortimesofchange.com/samyama-trinity-of-dharana-dhyana-and/