If you remember my 2nd post in this series, I listed all sorts of things that a conductor must gain in terms of skills and knowledge. For the young conductor (or the experienced one, for that matter), many of the limits to your achievements as a conductor will be your own personal limitations as a […]
The Young Conductor III – learning repertoire
Learning repertoire is another life-long (and fascinating) part of being a conductor. For the beginning conductor it seems a daunting task, so first know that it's never-ending. Don't worry that you don't yet know enough, just get started. First, of course, you'll learn the repertoire you sing. That doesn't mean it will be […]
The Young Conductor II – what does a conductor need to know?
When I taught beginning conducting (which I did for 18 years at Pacific Lutheran University), I'd begin by asking the class to tell me what the conductor did. What did she need to know? What skills are necessary? What roles does the conductor play? What's important to become a very good conductor? This would always […]
The Young Conductor I – Introduction
Welcome back! I hope you all had a good break. It's time for a new series, this time thoughts on the preparation for the young conductor. This could mean an undergraduate planning on a career in music education, or it could mean a young conductor, teacher, or graduate student who's started his/her career. How does […]
What we can learn from John Wooden XIV
It's been fun to look into John Wooden's career, techniques, and writing about him and his methods–and how it might apply to us as conductors. This final post summarizes the series and also suggests reading for those of you who wish to explore further on your own. I hope you've enjoyed it and gotten something […]
What we can learn from John Wooden XIII
The title of the book by Gallmore and Nater comes from the seventh chapter: You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned. I've talked about that topic already, but the element in this chapter we'll speak of today is that of favorite teachers. We've all had them and their influence is often huge. So, what […]