The Conductor as Yogi:  The Calmest Person in the Room

It doesn’t matter how long I have taught.  How many fall semesters I have started as a conductor, teacher, leader, administrator.  Human.  There is always a mix of excitement, curiosity, trepidation, and exhaustion, even before we begin.  Welcome to our life.

It was Monday morning, the first day of fall classes.  I had been preparing in some sense for months, with repertoire selection, auditions, scheduling, and planning.  I anticipate the surprises—people who may randomly show up (“I want to sing!”) and others who will be MIA, no notice given.  I envision who we will be this year but wonder about the holes not yet filled or decisions still to be made.

Exciting, yes, but also unsettling in some ways, as we step into the unknown.  

So I take a moment.  Stop time.  Breathe.  And remind myself, that when I come into our shared space and time, I need to be the calmest person in the room.

Not because I am denying reality or trying to be someone I am not.  But because I have developed the skill of putting the past and the future into a metaphorical suitcase and leaving it outside the door.  It will be there when I need it.  Now, in this moment, I can see, hear, feel, experience what is.  I come back to my core and remember that my gifts and abilities are needed here, in the present, to be able to lead and live in a more fluid state.  

“Calm” has many hues,  While in some settings it means quiet, slow, and dreamy, that would not serve us in a choral rehearsal.  As the conductor, I set the tone— to engage, embrace this hour as a singular experience, and value what we do together, with as few distractions as possible.  If I walk in with a hyperactive and scattered mind, a pace that is too fast to track, or a heaviness of spirit, then our work together will be spotty, confused, inefficient, and uninspiring.  

“Calm,” for me, means measured, regulated, focused, mindful, authentic, and purposeful.  Not always our natural disposition, but one we can cultivate if we first, understand it is necessary for our best work and second, if we build centering moments into our conductor preparation, along with our score study and rehearsal plans.  Moments of stopping and disengaging from devices and people.  Breathing a few slow breaths and remembering that we have done hard things before and we will do it again.  And then—with just the subtlest hint of a smile—visualizing the positive impact we will make.

Once we get ourselves in this energetic place, we create the opportunity for singers to do the same.  And as we lead rehearsal, we shift momentum through the work.  From simple humming to more complex warm-ups, paired with movement and breathing, through the varied repertoire we choose and the community-building activities we include.  Ultimately, the music itself will lead the way and is the strongest regulating agent for the rehearsal.  Let it be our reminder and our guide.

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 (and video course through Forward Motion, https://www.fwdmotion.org/sp-ramonawis-conductorasleader ).  Dr. Wis is a 500-hour CYT (Certified Yoga Teacher) and a certified Brain Longevity® Specialist.  Find her at:  or ramonawis.com.