Expression Assignment BranchED OER Institute_ Carly Johnson
Eye Contact Assignment BranchED OER Institute_ Carly Johnson
Guided Reflection Questions
Patterns Assignment BranchED OER Institute_ Carly Johnson
Score Map Assignment BranchED OER Institute_ Carly Johnson
Selfie Assignment #1 BranchED OER Institute_ Carly Johnson
Selfie Assignment #2 BranchED OER Institute_ Carly Johnson
Translation Assignment BranchED OER Institute_ Carly Johnson
Transposition Assignment BranchED OER Institute_ Carly Johnson
Unit 1 Lecture Notes PowerPoint
Unit 2 Lecture Notes
Unit 3 Lecture Notes
Culturally Inclusive Materials for MUE Teacher Prep Courses: Conducting 101
Overview
This module has been created by Dr. Carly Johnson, Chair of the Department of Music at Alabama State University, to supplement commercial textbooks available for college-level conducting courses. The culturally diverse images, musical scores, and videos featured in the module provide more inclusive content, representative of students from historically marginalized groups, and aid in deconstructing racial, ethnic, and gender biases often associated with the study of Western art music and with holding leadership positions in music. The module begins with reflective questioning, identifying and examining equity barriers in Western art music, and ends with pathway resources for underrepresented students to pursue additional study beyond the conclusion of the course. Included in this module are several activities and assessments that can be used in a variety of ways, suitable for both in-person teaching or for synchronous or asynchronous online instruction.
Introduction
Culturally Inclusive Materials for MUE Teacher Prep Courses: Conducting 101
This module was developed for the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity Summer 2021 Institute to be used as OER/instructional materials for music educator preparatory classes. This module includes culturally relevant and culturally responsive instructional materials that are representative of culturally diverse Teacher Education candidates.
This goal of this module is to provide instructional materials that are representative and inclusive of a broad, diverse population of students, and that are particularly responsive to students enrolled at HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions and other predominantly minority-serving higher ed institutions, in order to deconstruct barriers to equity, particularly barriers and biases associated with racist and misogynistic prejudices and stereotypes often associated with the study and performance of Classical music and the study of conducting.
Introduction to the module:
In response to historial barriers and biases stemming from racial, ethnic, and gender inequities, this module focuses on offering culturally inclusive and equitable teaching materials for use in upper division music education courses such courses that focus on conducting pedagogy and score analysis that are required courses for all Music Education candidates enrolled in Teacher Educator programs. The module draws on open source and public domain materials available on IMSLP and other third-party platforms and highlights material often seen on the Praxis II: Music Content exam, including the identification of musical form, thematic development, harmonic structure, instrumental transpositions, and musical terminology. The materials include a diverse collection of musical examples and images that are representative of composers and conductors identifying as racial/ethnic and gender minorities.
Content in the module lends itself to a variety of instructional settings and modes of delivery. Each module is designed to allow individual instructors to have flexibility in lesson planning and organization. There is an emphasis on unit objectives, content, activities and assessments to guide the instructor. The module works well for both in-person delivery, or for synchronous or asynchronous online delivery. The course focuses on Praxis II: Music Content exam material, layering several different skill areas for students to develop higher order analytical thinking skills in preparation for this important certification requirement. Assessment of activities is rubric-based and is focused on meeting the primary objectives for each unit within the module.
Audience:
The intended audience of this course is music teacher candidates enrolled in undergraduate level K-12 teacher education credentialing programs. Culturally responsive teaching practices for learners with diverse cultural and ethnic identities, are highly encouraged, as well as differentiation practices for students with various learning needs.
Length of course:
This resource has been designed to supplement 3 weeks of an 8 week course.
Student learning outcomes:
While engaging with this module, learners will:
Model the physical and mechanical aspects of conducting, including posture, stance, arm movements, baton grip, gestures and body language.
Develop the use of musical expression in conducting through the use of the left-hand (non-baton hand), gaze, facial expressions and other non-verbal modes of communication.
Utilize strategies for score study and score preparation including various analyzation techniques, aural prep, and the use of colored pencils.
Technology requirements:
Students will need access to a laptop or desktop computer to use throughout the course module
Students will need to have Office 365 downloaded in order to submit written assignments as Word or PDF files.
Students will need a personal cell phone or other device capable of taking digital pictures and recording/exporting MOV or mp4 files.
In-person Instructors will need a projection screen and projector set-up allowing for the connection of personal devices or a computer to access instructional items saved on the cloud.
In-person classrooms should be equipped with a connection suitable for streaming video.
Unit 1: Removing Equity Barriers from Conducting Pedagogy
To open this unit, instructors may want to review literature on implicit bias, and on overcoming spontaneous racial, ethnic, and gender stereotypes. A good example to initiate thoughtful discussions can be found here:
Article: Counter-stereotypical pictures as a strategy for overcoming spontaneous gender stereotypes
Tips for Neutralizing Bias through the Selection of Visual Examples
- Use images and infographics that are non-gender specific
- Use equitable numbers of images and inforgraphics representing diverse racial, ethnic, and gender identities
- Use images and infographics that project through a multicultural lens
- Use images and infographics to validate individuality
Unit 1 Outcomes:
While engaging with this unit, learners will:
1. Demonstrate proper conducting stance, posture, and baton grip.
2. Describe how eye contact can convey expression, mood and style.
3. Demonstrate common conducting patterns including simple, compound, and odd meters.
Introducation
When introducing this module, have students view the following videos to initiate a discussion on racism, prejudices, and barriers to access that have excluded and prevented many musicians from historically marginalized groups from performing with or leading major American symphony orchestras.
Video: On Being an African American Conductor
Video: Gender Prejudices in Conducting
Video: The Orchestra as a Predominantly White Institution
After viewing each of the videos, encourage the students to reflect on and discuss additional ways of deconstructing barriers to equity, particularly barriers and biases associated with racist and misogynistic prejudices and stereotypes often associated with the study and performance of Western art music, including the study of conducting.
Content
Review of the primary duties of a conductor:
· interpreting the score to reflect the specific intent of the composer
· setting the tempos
· ensuring correct entries by ensemble members
· shaping the musical phrasing when appropriate
A conductor can accomplish these duties by using a variety of visual movements, gestures, and cues from the podium.
One of the first things that conductors must learn is how to stand while up on the podium, as posture is the foundation of all the physical movements and gestures made by a conductor. Good posture will help you to be both effective and convincing as a conductor.
In the visual image below, which person is demonstrating excellent posture? Why?
Now consider your own posture tendencies when standing:
Do you tend to slouch?
Does your chest cave in?
Is your spine curved?
Use a full-length mirror to examine and to identify specific areas of your posture that you would like to improve. Make adjustments while continuing to look in the mirror in order to correct these tendencies.
Now consider how movement affects your posture. Do you have a tendency to lean forward or backward when you walk?
Have a friend or family member video record you as you walk across a room so that you can play back the recording to examine your posture.
On the podium, the work-area of the conductor is the conducting box (conducting window) which is determined by the height of the conductor and their wingspan. When on the podium, you should think of yourself as a tree, firmly planted with your legs holding you steady. A solid posture will give your conducting more focus.
When working on your posture, consider these four areas:
Feet: Stand relaxed with your feet about hips distance apart. Keep your knees slightly bent. This will make it easier for you to move in all directions.
Chest and Shoulders: Stand tall with your chest and your shoulders open and relaxed.
Head: Position your head over your body without tension.
Arms, Hands, and Fingers: Let your arms, hands, and fingers relax at your sides.
Stay relaxed while maintaining your posture and balance. The sign of any unnatural tension will take away from your efforts to communicate as a conductor.
Body Relaxation & Posture Alignment Exercise: Watch the following video to see how to align the body without creating tension, and then try the exercise on your own to feel the benefits of relaxation and body alignment.
Video: Body Alignment Exercise
The “Ready” or “Alert” Position on the Podium: In this position, be sure to hold the elbows slightly outwards and forward of the body, rather than cramped against it. This allows the joints in the shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers to move freely. The forearms should be roughly parallel to the ground or slightly higher so that they are level to the chest. This ensures that no portions of any gesture will be hidden from view behind a music stand or other obstruction. The hands should be held slightly above the wrist, palm facing the floor and the fingers slightly curved.
In this neutral position, the face should be pleasant, rather than void of expression. The face should be engaged as if you were listening to someone speak to you. Our eyes can communicate volumes about what we are thinking and feeling, and the right look can encourage and give confidence to the performers.
Baton Grip: In conducting, the right hand (the baton hand) communicates the beat pattern and tempo, while the left hand communicates phrasing and expression. Both right-handed and left-handed students learn to conduct with the baton being held in the right hand, as otherwise, the visual perspective of conducting patterns from the point of view of the musicians would be backward which can be confusing and difficult to follow.
The most common way of holding the baton is with a fulcrum style grip, with the baton held between the thumb and the first two fingers, gripping the baton against the palm of the hand. Holding the baton this way allows you to keep your wrist free to move. This is important as the wrist is the primary source for showing the pulse, which is essential for the musicians. The baton is a tool that helps a conductor gain clarity. It is an extension of the conductor’s arm. Batons can vary in form and shape: long, short, wooden, plastic, with a long bulb, with a round corky bulb, etc.
Cell Phone Selfies Activity/Assessment: After viewing the above video on conducting posture, examine your own conducting posture and baton grip in a full-length mirror. Make adjustments to your posture and position as needed. Have a friend or family member take cell phone pictures of you demonstrating the following conducting positions:
- Front View, “Alert” or “Ready” position
- Side View (profile), “Alert” or “Ready” position
- Close-up, Right-hand fulcrum style baton grip
Upload and submit your three cell phone pictures as either JPEG or PNG files in the Unit 1 assignments folder.
The way a conductor communicates can truly make a difference between a good and an excellent performance. You can connect with the players, alert them of an important entrance, and inspire them. One of the most powerful tools in the conductor’s arsenal is the conductor’s gaze and use of the eyes.
If you wear glasses, choose a frame that does not conceal your eyes, or perhaps wear contacts instead. Make sure your head is not buried in the score, as one of your primary functions as a conductor is to connect with the musicians.
Eye Contact: Maintaining eye contact with your musicians communicates when they should play and how they should play. To a sensitive musician, eye contact can convey expression, style, and mood. Sharing eye contact creates a mode of non-verbal two-way musical communication between the musician and conductor.
Viewing Assignment: View the following video on what makes a good conductor:
Video: What Makes a Good Conductor?
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was impossibly brilliant in so many different areas: as a genius conductor, composer, author, pianist, thinker, activist, educator and entertainer. He was widely known for his artistic and expressive conducting style and influenced and mentored many young conductors. His use of facial expression and use of gaze during his conducting was legendary and quite effective at conveying a wide array of various emotions.
According to researchers, gaze is a very rich, complex and sophisticated communication system, and the parameters that determine its meaning are not only gaze direction or pupil dilation, but a number of physical aspects in the eye region, such as eyebrow movements, eyelid position, eye humidity and reddening, and the like. This communication system can be studied in the same way as natural languages are, to the point that it is possible to write down a lexicon of gaze, and even an “optology” equivalent to the “phonology” of verbal languages.
Viewing Assignment: Watch the following video of Leonard Bernstein conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in a performance of the fourth movement of Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88, and then answer the guided reflection questions that go along with the viewing assignment. Submit your guided reflection question answers as a Word or PDF file in the Unit 1 assignments folder.
Video: Leonard Bernstein with Vienna Philharmonic Facial Expressions Only
Assessment: Guided Reflection Questions
Now let’s examine a few of the more physical aspects of conducting:
Four Hinge Points: In conducting, it is important to be aware of the four main hinge points in your conducting arm: the shoulder, the elbow, the wrist, and the fingers. Each hinge point has a distinct independent movement, and each can be used either in isolation or in conjunction with other movements. Movements at the shoulder are larger and require more energy than movements in the fingers. Essentially, big movements get big responses.
Try conducting a simple conducting pattern using each joint in isolation. Notice how much effort it takes to move each joint and consider the different messages each movement sends to the performer. While you will likely never use only one joint or move in one plane, it’s important to understand the types of movements available to you and how those movements would be interpreted.
Conducting Box: The conducting box is the area that musicians typically focus their attention on while watching a conductor’s motions. It constitutes both vertical and horizontal planes for movement in all directions. The conducting box is roughly a 3’x3’ area that sits in the center of your body just above your waist.
While standing on the podium, raise your shoulders and arms until your arms reach the top of your head and then lower them back down. This movement is the maximum size of your gesture along the frontal plane. Now lift your arms from your shoulders in front of you until your arms reach straight up in the air. This movement is the maximum size of your gesture along the sagittal plane.
Arm Movements: There are a variety of arm movements available to use. Flexion is the decrease in the angle of the joint or bending. Extension is the increase in the angle of the joint or straightening.
Abduction is the movement of an appendage (such as an arm or leg, or even a finger) away from the midline of the body. Adduction is the movement towards the midline of the body.
Medial (or internal) rotation is movement that brings the anterior surface closer to the midline. Lateral (or external) rotation is the motion of the anterior (front) surface away from the midline.
During lateral or horizontal motion, the wrist joint is often used to round out the patterns and to reverse directions between beats. Pronation means turning the wrist forward and supination means turning the wrist backward.
Body Movements: There are a variety of other body movements that can be incredibly effective ways to communicate, and most of us use these naturally when we talk. For example, taking a step forward or backward, widening or narrowing your stance, or leaning forward or backward, all convey different meanings and elicit different responses.
Preparatory Gesture: The movement that anticipates an initial downbeat
The Ictus Point: In conducting, the term ictus is used to denote the specific point in a visible pattern of beat points that articulates the pulse of the music to the ensemble musicians. The ictus point is typically the lowest point in conducting patterns.
Video: The Ictus in Conducting Beat Patterns
The baton usually signals the beginning of a measure with a downward motion (the downbeat). A slight upward preparatory movement prepares for the downbeat of the measure. The upbeat and downbeat should take the same amount of time, and that interval should equal the length of the beat.
Conducting Patterns: Directional patterns in which your dominant hand (baton hand) shows in order to establish the meter and tempo of the music. A conductor is responsible for establishing the tempo and, more importantly, as the famous conductor Sir George Solti once said, communicating the “architecture” of the music. You may think of the hand motion involved in conducting meter as choreography.
Video: Conducting Patterns
Practice your patterns until they become automatic (that is, until you can produce them in an even tempo while talking to someone). Patterns representing counts of two, three, and four beats are the most frequently used by conductors. Practice with both hands as well as separately with each.
Video Recording Assignment: Review the three basic conducting patterns from above (in 2, in 3, and in 4) by conducting the patterns while watching yourself in a mirror. Then, video record yourself conducting each pattern for 10 measures at a moderate tempo of quarter note equals 88. Submit your video of each of the three patterns as a mp4 or MOV file in the Unit 1 assignments folder.
References:
Articles:
Poggi, Isabella; Ranieri, Loredana; Leone, Ylenia; Ansani, Alessandro. 2020. "The Power of Gaze in Music. Leonard Bernstein’s Conducting Eyes" Multimodal Technol. Interact. 4, no. 2: 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti4020020
Webpages:
Bucceri, John. (2010). 4 common conducting patterns [Webpage]. Retrieved from https://www.johnbuccheriteachingmusictheory.com/4-common-conducting-patterns
Tracek-King, Anthony. (2020, April 17). Conducting for educators, part 2 [Webpage]. Retrieved from https://www.trecekking.com/conducting-for-educators-part-2/
Videos:
Coleman, J. (2017, May 9). Hindu exercise [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x91MeMl9bQg
Dennis, Michael. (2018, December 4). Michael Morgan on 20/20 (1986) | 29 year old conductor [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNoxhzzfzx8
Reinhard, Ulrike. (2009, September 12). 15Bernstein Haydn Full [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XclKeS0vaiM
Unknown. (2008, September 25). Orchestra conducting fundamentals: plane awareness for orchestra conductor [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vODULdoGtQ
Unknown. (2019, April 25). S.1 E.11 Hinges [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yesFxa6ufAM
Willis, Michelle. (2008, May 3). #2- The ictus: conducting tip with Michelle Willis [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2JA6u7j7lg
Yawson, Samuel. (2018, March 11). Lesson 1 – The conducting posture [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2K-JpY3wpY
Yawson, Samuel. (2018, March 12). Lesson 2 – Holding the baton [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsX2_l75deU
Yawson, Samuel. (2018, March 14). Lesson 4 – The preparatory beat and anacrusis [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vE8qqsHwIE4
Yawson, Samuel. (2018, March 14). Lesson 3 – The beat patterns [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryXz4eCEQ1c
Images:
Alumnoconservatoriofalla. September 29, 2020. "Leonard Bernstein Conductor" CC BY-SA 4.0
Elatmani. October 31, 2011. "Pronation and Supination" CC BY 3.0
Eroswalt. July 13, 2013. "Conductor Michael Morgan" CC BY-SA 4.0
Ikrep. August 13, 2011. "Erki Conducting" CC BY-SA 4.0
Larsson, Anton. April 23, 2011. "Black Woman 1 070" CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Morroy, Edgar. May 14, 2020. "Maestro Jesus Uzcategui" CC-BY-SA 4.0
Ogele, Tonye. May 19, 2013. "Body Movements" CC BY 3.0
Ogele, Tonye. November 14, 2013. "Abduction and Circumduction" CC BY 3.0
Osteomyoamare. June 21, 2010. "Flexion Extension Arm" CC BY 3.0
Provost, James. November 5, 2014. "Posture Problems" CC BY -NC-ND 2.0
Rosier, H. May 30, 2007. "Conducting-24time" CC BY-SA 3.0
Rosier, H. May 30, 2007. "Conducting-34time" CC BY-SA 3.0
Rosier, H. January 23, 2011. "Conducting-44time" CC BY-SA 3.0
Zuccarello, Nick. October 22, 2012. "Human anatomy planes" CC BY 3.0
Unit 1: Activities
Posture Activity
Consider your own posture tendencies when standing:
Do you tend to slouch?
Does your chest cave in?
Is your spine curved?
Use a full-length mirror to examine and to identify specific areas of your posture that you would like to improve. Make adjustments in order to correct these tendencies.
Now consider how movement affects your posture. Do you
have a tendency to lean forward or backward when you walk?
Have a friend or family member video record you as you walk across a room so that you can play back the recording to examine your posture.
Be prepared to discuss and to demonstrate your findings with the class.
Body Relaxation & Posture Alignment Exercise
Watch the following video to see how to align the body without creating tension, and then try the exercise on your own to feel the benefits of relaxation and body alignment.
Video: Body Alignment Exercise
Cell Phone Selfies Samples
Examine your own conducting posture and baton grip in a full-length mirror. Make adjustments to your posture and position as needed. Have a friend or family member take cell phone pictures of you demonstrating the following conducting positions:
- Front View, “Alert” or “Ready” position
- Side View (profile), “Alert” or “Ready” position
- Close-up, Right-hand fulcrum style baton grip
Upload and submit your three cell phone pictures as either JPEG or PNG files in the Unit 1 assignments folde, and be prepared to discuss and demonstrate your results with the class.
Eye Contact Assignment
Watch the following video of Leonard Bernstein conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in a performance of the fourth movement of Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88, and then answer the guided reflection questions that follow. Submit your guided reflection question answers as a Word or PDF file in the Unit 1 assignments folder.
Video: Leonard Bernstein with Vienna Philharmonic Facial Expressions Only
Conducting Patterns Video Samples
Watch the following video on conducting 2-beat, 3-beat, and 4-beat patterns. Then practice conducting the patterns that you see in the images below in front of a mirror until they become automatic (that is, until you can produce them in an even tempo while talking to someone). Practice conducting with both hands as well as separately with each hand. Then, video record yourself conducting each pattern for 10 measures at a moderate tempo of quarter note equals 88. Submit your video of each of the three patterns as a mp4 or MOV file in the Unit 1 assignments folder.
Unit 1: Assessments
Assessment #1: Cell Phone "Selfie" Samples
Examine your own conducting posture and baton grip in a full-length mirror. Make adjustments to your posture and position as needed. Have a friend or family member take cell phone pictures of you demonstrating the following conducting positions:
- Front View, “Alert” or “Ready” position
- Side View (profile), “Alert” or “Ready” position
- Close-up, Right-hand fulcrum style baton grip
Upload and submit your three cell phone pictures as either JPEG or PNG files in the Unit 1 assignments folder, and be prepared to discuss and demonstrate your results with the class.
Assessment #2: Eye Contact Guided Reflection Questions
Watch the following video of Leonard Bernstein conducting the Vienna Philharmonic in a performance of the fourth movement of Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88, and then answer the guided reflection questions that follow. Submit your guided reflection question answers as a Word or PDF file in the Unit 1 assignments folder.
Video: Leonard Bernstein with Vienna Philharmonic Facial Expressions Only
Assessment #3: Conducting Pattern Video Samples
Watch the following video on conducting 2-beat, 3-beat, and 4-beat patterns. Then practice conducting the patterns that you see in the images below in front of a mirror until they become automatic (that is, until you can produce them in an even tempo while talking to someone). Practice conducting with both hands as well as separately with each hand. Then, video record yourself conducting each pattern for 10 measures at a moderate tempo of quarter note equals 88. Submit your video of each of the three patterns as a mp4 or MOV file in the Unit 1 assignments folder.
Unit 2: Inclusive Podium Presence & Expression
Unit 2 Outcomes:
While engaging with this unit, learners will:
1. Identify how to show expression by using various conducting gestures related to character, style, and mood
2. Use conducting gestures to communicate musical items in the score including tempo, dynamics, and articulations
3. Summarize and describe the conducting styles of prominent professional conductors.
Content
To introduce this unit, initiate a discussion with the students that focuses on the duties of a conductor comparing more mechanical operations, such as starting and stopping the ensemble, or setting tempos, with the more artistic gestures or movements that conductors must use to show musicians the character, mood, and style of the music. Oftentimes such gestures or movements must be planned and prepared beforehand, however some gestures can be more spontaneous in nature and serve as a reaction to the sound being produced.
Video: What a Conductor Actually Does on Stage
The combination of physical gesture, facial expression and emotion used in our teaching and conducting is powerful. The gestures we use create another layer of meaning and understanding for our students. More importantly they help create a personal connection with the music for your students. The vocabulary of non-verbal communication skills at our disposal on the podium is a gold mine waiting to be discovered.
To begin developing your conducting gestures toolbox, focus on how you use gestures in an everyday context. Oftentimes, we move our hands and our body while talking to reinforce meaning – tap into what you already do naturally in order to expand your toolbox. For example, when you are with a spouse, partner, or friend, observe how their body language is affected by the words or emotions you are communicating.
Genuine words and emotions will elicit genuine gestures. If someone is very much worried or angry or in love with you, their body language will reinforce those meanings. As conductors, once we have genuine thoughts and ideas about the music, then our gestures can reflect these thoughts and ideas. For maximum development, video record your rehearsals so that you have evidence of what you are doing or not doing on the podium that effectively or ineffectively conveys your intent.
Try choosing a section of music and assigning three words to describe the music. Be specific and vivid with your choice of words. Say these words out loud, on the downbeat of each measure, while you are conducting (the ensemble does not have to hear it, but it needs to be audible to yourself). If these words are truly how you feel about the music, you will be amazed at how reflective your facial expressions will be. Your hands and gestures will follow suit. When you focus on the affect of the music, these emotions will come through in your body language.
Think about the sound, or shape of the sound you want. “This note sounds like…” Now, consider how you could communicate that sound nonverbally.
Explore:
1.Use of space – vertical and horizontal. What sounds work better with a lower/higher conducting plane?
2.Use of left or right hand only – try to avoid double handed gestures
3.Use of your “hinges” – fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulder. In general, louder/larger music calls for use of our bigger hinges.
Can you gesture that same sound in two or three different ways?
Practice in front of a mirror while singing the music.
Video: Demystifying Conducting Gestures
Emotions & Exoressions:
Emotions are psychological states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. Emotions are often intertwined with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, creativity, and motivation.
Expressions are behaviors that communicates an emotional state or attitude. They can be verbal or non-verbal and can occur with or without self-awareness. Emotional expressions include facial movements like smiling or scowling, simple behaviors like crying or laughing, and more complex behaviors like writing a letter or giving a gift. Individuals have some conscious control of their emotional expressions, however, they need not have conscious awareness of their emotional or affective state in order to express emotion.
Expression Analysis Assignment: Identify each of the four examples below as being either positive, neutral, or negative facial expressions and explain what features made you choose your answers.
Musical expression: The art of playing or singing with an emotional response and making appropriate use of dynamics, phrasing, timbre, vibrato, and articulation to bring the music to life. Composers often specify these aspects of expression in the markings that they use in the scores, however, it is up to the conductor to interpret and communicate these aspects to the musicians and the audience.
The conductor communicates through facial expression and gestures, evoking, molding and shaping the sound of the ensemble. There is a great deal of information a conductor needs to communicate beyond the primary rhythmic function of indicating tempo and maintaining a rhythmic pulse. If a conductor is unable to communicate this, the ensemble will not work as a cohesive unit.
Through his or her hands, a conductor shapes phrases and shows articulation as well as the type of sound he or she has in mind. In addition to gestures, a conductor’s communicative capacity is significantly enhanced by other means of nonverbal communication like body language, general posture and appearance, facial expressions and eye contact.
As the role of the conductor has developed into a more interpretative one, these aspects of the conductor’s art have assumed a heightened degree of importance. Nuances of facial expression and eye contact can reflect and depict the character, mood and emotional content of the music. Hand gestures are able to demonstrate detail corresponding to an array of articulation, variety and color of sound, a multiplicity of dynamic shadings and gradations, and the intricacies of phrasing. Combined with body movement, these gestures are also able to reflect and communicate an understanding of the overall architecture of a work.
Basic conducting technique is important and critical to communicating your musical ideas, but it is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to being a great conductor.
Viewing Assignment: Watch the following three short videos on the use of the left hand for showing expression in your conducting.
Video: The Use of the Left Hand
Cell Phone Photos Activity/Assessment: The six universal facial expressions that infants begin showing by the age of one years old, include:
1. Surprise
2. Fear
3. Anger
4. Disgust
5. Happiness
6. Sadness
For this assignment, use a mirror to experiment with showing facial expressions that correspond to the above six emotions. Examine how you use your eye region (eyes, eyebrows, forehead), your mouth region (smile, lips, chin), and other facial characteristics to show each distinct expression. Take a cell phone photo that demonstrates your facial expression for each of the six universal expressions listed above. Upload and submit your six cell phone pictures as either JPEG or PNG files in the Unit 2 assignments folder.
Conductor Critiques: View the following seven video clips and provide a written report that critiques each of the conductor’s conducting style observed in the clips. In your report, describe each of the conductor’s posture, podium presence, conducting box/planes, patterns, and use of gestures. Cite visual aspects for each of the conductors that you believe are especially effective in conveying the emotion and the intent of the music. Submit your written report as a Word or PDF file in the Unit 2 assignments folder.
Video: James DePriest conducts Pictures at an Exhibition
New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1965), James DePriest, conductor
Modest Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition (excerpt)
Video: Gustavo Dudamel conducts "Sorrow"
Los Angeles Philharmonic (2020), Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
William Grant Still, Symphony No. 1 “Afro-American” Mvmt. II, “Sorrow”
Video: Jonathon Heyward conducts Mars
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (2019), Jonathon Heyward, conductor
Gustav Holst, The Planets (excerpt)
Video: Marin Alsop conducts Romeo and Juliet
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (2021), Marin Alsop, conductor
Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet (excerpt)
Video: Roderick Cox conducts Tchaik 4
Minnesota Orchestra (2017), Roderick Cox, conductor
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4 (excerpt)
Video: Alondra de la Parra conducts Marquez
L’Orchestre de Paris (2015), Alondra de la Parra, conductor
Arturo Marquez, Danzon No. 2
Video: Thomas Wilkins conducts Black Bottom
Detroit Symphony Orchestra (2020), Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Nkieru Okoye, Black Bottom
References:
Webpages:
Dockendorf, Matthew, and Thornton, David. (2017). Making Musical Decisions, Part 2: Conducting Gestures [Webpage].The Music Educator Blog. Retrieved from
https://www.smartmusic.com/blog/making-musical-decisions-part-2-conducting-gestures/
Watson, Carolyn. The Craft of Conducting – A General Introduction [Webpage]. Music & Practice, Volume 4. Retrieved at https://www.musicandpractice.org/volume-4/the-craft-of-conducting-a-general-introduction/
Videos:
Detroit Symphony Orchestra. (June 10, 2020). Nkeiru Okoye "Black Bottom" / Detroit Symphony Orchestra / Thomas Wilkins, conductor [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11xUjzA1Ljc
Dudamel, Gustavo. (November 27, 2020). Gustavo Dudamel - LA Phil SOUND/STAGE: William Grant Still, Afro-American Symphony, II. "Sorrow" [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA9vm6LSHxM
Gaffigan, James. (2018, July 20). What a conductor actually does on stage [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_yIn8V3UcU
McAdams, Ryan. (March 21, 2018). Young James DePriest with New York Philharmonic [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqTlXvCqW0U
Minnesota Orchestra. (July 23, 2017). Roderick Cox Conducts Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlnAEhZvk-E
NBC News. (August 1, 2017). African-American conductor making noise in white-dominated field [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2AHkHo0BJA
New York Times. (January 4, 2013). Demystifying conducting: the connection between gesture and music [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGwhmjqnGOY
NOSPR & medici.tv. (May 24, 2021) Marin Alsop conducts Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet "Death of Tybalt" [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOlIB0oTum0
Seattle Symphony. (June 26, 2019). Holst: Mars from The Planets (excerpt) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hZa3nZCxJo
WocomoMusic. (June 19, 2018). Arturo Márquez - Danzón No. 2 (Alondra de la Parra, L'Orchestre de Paris) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjZPHW0qVvo
Yawson, Samuel. (2018, March 16). Lesson 5 – The Use of the left hand [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eANQMaqIwGg
Yawson, Samuel. (2018, March 21). Lesson 8 – Establishing the mood [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OieERj8SYWA
Yawson, Samuel. (2018, March 22). Lesson 9 – Expressive conducting [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ9rmYP5WnA
Images:
Cox, Trevor, June 24, 2013. "Symphony Hall Birmingham" CC BY-SA 3.0
Pereira, Fabio Louifi, April 11, 2017. "Fabio Loutfi Pereira at Breslau Philharmonic Orchestra" CC BY-SA 4.0
Benajah, Nsey November 16, 2020, "Untitled Photo on Unsplash"
Unit 2: Activities
Self-Awareness Exercise
To begin developing your conducting gestures toolbox, focus on how you use gestures in an everyday context. Oftentimes, we move our hands and our body while talking to reinforce meaning – tap into what you already do naturally in order to expand your toolbox. For example, when you are with a spouse, partner, or friend, observe how their body language is affected by the words or emotions you are communicating.
Emotional Associations Exercise
Try choosing a section of music and assigning three words to describe the music. Be specific and vivid with your choice of words. Say these words out loud, on the downbeat of each measure, while you are conducting (the ensemble does not have to hear it, but it needs to be audible to yourself). If these words are truly how you feel about the music, you will be amazed at how reflective your facial expressions will be. Your hands and gestures will follow suit. When you focus on the affect of the music, these emotions will come through in your body language.
Aural Imagery Exercise
Think about the sound, or shape of the sound you want. “This note sounds like…” Now, consider how you could communicate that sound nonverbally.
Explore:
1.Use of space – vertical and horizontal. What sounds work better with a lower/higher conducting plane?
2.Use of left or right hand only – try to avoid double handed gestures
3.Use of your “hinges” – fingers, wrist, elbow, shoulder. In general, louder/larger music calls for use of our bigger hinges.
Can you gesture that same sound in two or three different ways?
Facial Expression Recognition Assignment
.
Cell Phone "Selfie" Assessment:
The six universal facial expressions that infants begin showing by the age of one years old, include:
1. Surprise
2. Fear
3. Anger
4. Disgust
5. Happiness
6. Sadness
For this assignment, use a mirror to experiment with showing facial expressions that correspond to the above six emotions. Examine how you use your eye region (eyes, eyebrows, forehead), your mouth region (smile, lips, chin), and other facial characteristics to show each distinct expression. Take a cell phone photo that demonstrates your facial expression for each of the six universal expressions listed above. Upload and submit your six cell phone pictures as either JPEG or PNG files in the Unit 2 assignments folder.
Conductor Critiques Activity
View the following seven video clips and provide a written report that critiques each of the conductor’s conducting style observed in the clips. In your report, describe each of the conductor’s posture, podium presence, conducting box/planes, patterns, and use of gestures. Cite visual aspects for each of the conductors that you believe are especially effective in conveying the emotion and the intent of the music. Submit your written report as a Word or PDF file in the Unit 2 assignments folder.
Video: James DePriest conducts Pictures at an Exhibition
New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1965), James DePriest, conductor
Modest Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition (excerpt)
Video: Gustavo Dudamel conducts "Sorrow"
Los Angeles Philharmonic (2020), Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
William Grant Still, Symphony No. 1 “Afro-American” Mvmt. II, “Sorrow”
Video: Jonathon Heyward conducts Mars
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (2019), Jonathon Heyward, conductor
Gustav Holst, The Planets (excerpt)
Video: Marin Alsop conducts Romeo and Juliet
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (2021), Marin Alsop, conductor
Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet (excerpt)
Video: Roderick Cox conducts Tchaik 4
Minnesota Orchestra (2017), Roderick Cox, conductor
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4 (excerpt)
Video: Alondra de la Parra conducts Marquez
L’Orchestre de Paris (2015), Alondra de la Parra, conductor
Arturo Marquez, Danzon No. 2
Video: Thomas Wilkins conducts Black Bottom
Detroit Symphony Orchestra (2020), Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Nkieru Okoye, Black Bottom
Unit 2: Assessments
Assessment #1: Expression Identification
Upload and submit your picture ID analysis and rationals for examples 1-4 as either a Word or PDF file in the Unit 2 assignments folder.
Assessment #2: "Selfie" Expression
The six universal facial expressions that infants begin showing by the age of one years old, include:
1. Surprise
2. Fear
3. Anger
4. Disgust
5. Happiness
6. Sadness
For this assignment, use a mirror to experiment with showing facial expressions that correspond to the above six emotions. Examine how you use your eye region (eyes, eyebrows, forehead), your mouth region (smile, lips, chin), and other facial characteristics to show each distinct expression. Take a cell phone photo that demonstrates your facial expression for each of the six universal expressions listed above. Upload and submit your six cell phone pictures as either JPEG or PNG files in the Unit 2 assignments folder.
Assessment #3: Conductor Video Critiques
View the following seven video clips and provide a written report that critiques each of the conductor’s conducting style observed in the clips. In your report, describe each of the conductor’s posture, podium presence, conducting box/planes, patterns, and use of gestures. Cite visual aspects for each of the conductors that you believe are especially effective in conveying the emotion and the intent of the music. Submit your written report as a Word or PDF file in the Unit 2 assignments folder.
Video: James DePriest conducts Pictures at an Exhibition
New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1965), James DePriest, conductor
Modest Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition (excerpt)
Video: Gustavo Dudamel conducts "Sorrow"
Los Angeles Philharmonic (2020), Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
William Grant Still, Symphony No. 1 “Afro-American” Mvmt. II, “Sorrow”
Video: Jonathon Heyward conducts Mars
Seattle Symphony Orchestra (2019), Jonathon Heyward, conductor
Gustav Holst, The Planets (excerpt)
Video: Marin Alsop conducts Romeo and Juliet
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (2021), Marin Alsop, conductor
Sergei Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet (excerpt)
Video: Roderick Cox conducts Tchaik 4
Minnesota Orchestra (2017), Roderick Cox, conductor
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4 (excerpt)
Video: Alondra de la Parra conducts Marquez
L’Orchestre de Paris (2015), Alondra de la Parra, conductor
Arturo Marquez, Danzon No. 2
Video: Thomas Wilkins conducts Black Bottom
Detroit Symphony Orchestra (2020), Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Nkieru Okoye, Black Bottom
Unit 3: Score Study Techniques & Access to Inclusive Resources
Tips for Locating Open Source Music Scores
To research additional compositions by composers from historically marginalized groups to include as additional or alternative examples, visit the searchable Institute for Composer Diversity database, located online at https://www.composerdiversity.com
Another source for public domain scores and transcribed scores licensed under Creative Commons, is the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) Petrucci Music Library, located online at https://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page
Unit 3 Outcomes:
While engaging with this unit, learners will:
1. Demonstrate score reading literacy through the translation of musical terms written in languages other than English.
2. Demonstrate score reading literacy through the transposition of non-concert pitch instruments to concert pitch.
3. Demonstrate analytical skills by identifying the principal themes/motifs/melodies, along with the formal structures and harmonic structures found in a score.
Content
To introduce this unit, initiate a discussion with the students on score study. The score must be analyzed, studied, and internalized so that the conductor can present an accurate interpretation of the composer’s intent.
Before stepping in front of an ensemble, a conductor needs to have a thorough understanding of all markings, terminology, and tempo indications found in the score, and must develop an intellectual, emotional and visceral sense of the music. Every aspect of the rehearsal process that unfolds is guided and informed by the conductor’s knowledge, understanding, and feeling for the score.
A proficiency in reading and understanding Italian, German, and French musical terms is critical for studying and performing works from the standard orchestral repertoire. Many musical dictionaries and encyclopedias, in both traditional print and online forms, are available for students to look up any unfamiliar musical terms that may be encountered in a score.
Video: Italian Musical Terms (Tempo Markings)
Video: Italian Musical Terms (Dynamics)
Video: Italian Musical Terms (Expressions)
Additional study of diverse cultures beyond simple vocabulary and rudimentary language skills is advisable and allows conductors to gain more of an insight and understanding of the context of the repertoire they will be conducting in order to apply accurate performance practices.
Musical Terms Translation Activity/Assessment: In the following scores, identify and provide definitions and translations for all Italian, French, or German terms related to titles, tempo indications, dynamic markings, articulation markings, and expressive interpretations.
· Hiawatha’s Departure, from The Song of Hiawatha, Op.30, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)
Score: Hiawatha's Departure, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
· Choros No. 10, Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Score: Choros No. 10, Heitor Villa-Lobos
· La Mer, Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
· Symphony No. 2, Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Score: Symphony No. 2, Gustav Mahler
Some instruments commonly found in bands and orchestras are concert pitch (non-transposing) instruments, while some are transposing (non-concert pitch reading) instruments. An instrument is said to be a transposing instrument if the instrument is pitched in a key other than C, and if the note the player reads (the “written note”) is different from the note that is heard (the “sounding note”).
For example, when a Bb clarinet plays a written F that they see in a Bb clarinet part, the sounding note is a G concert. This results from the Bb clarinet being a transposing instrument that is pitched a major second (whole step) down from concert pitch (C).
Video: Concert Pitch and Transposing Instruments
Essentially, the purpose of score study is to understand and to be able to accurately portray the composer’s intentions through performance of a composed work. Beyond the basics of musical terminology and instrumental transpositions, it is important for a conductor to be able to understand the architecture, proportion, and meaning of the work that he or she will be conducting, so that he or she may lead the musicians in a performance that accurately reflects the composer’s thoughts, ideas and intentions.
Video: Score Study: Mozart, Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
Access the score and recording below so that you can listen to the recording and then practice reading the score while conducting along to the recording:
IMSLP Score: Mozart, Symphony No. 40, K. 550
Video: Dima Slobodeniouk conducting Mozart, Symphony No. 40, K. 550
The following videos chronicle a rehearsal of the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire, conducted by Jeannette Sorrell, performed on period instruments, and an interview with Maestro Thomas Wilkins, both excellent additional resources to consult when preparing to conduct any of the late Mozart symphonies.
Video: Jeannette Sorrell rehearsing Mozart, Symphony No. 40, K. 550
Video: Maestro Thomas Wilkins, Mozart Interview
How to Prepare Scores as a Conductor:
1. Listen to as many recordings of good conductors/ensembles as you can; follow along with the score.
2. Number your scores by marking the measure numbers in pencil on the score (at least at the beginning of every system), circle rehearsal letters, time/tempo changes, etc.
3. Know the basic formal structure and major/minor key areas (at a minimum)
4. Know the translations of any instructions printed in the music
5. Be able to sing (musically) all the way through the score
6. Know your tempi (check yourself with a metronome)
7. Know who plays what/when (when/where to give cues)
8. Physically practice beginnings and transitions 10x more than anything else
9. Reflect on how the score informs your gestures and your rehearsal technique
Musical Items for Conductors to show Using Gestures
1. Cues & Cut-offs
2. Dynamics: piano, forte, crescendo, diminuendo
3. Articulations: marcato, staccato, legato, tenuto
4. Tempos (MM markings)
5. Meter changes
6. Breathing (phrasing)
7. Fermatas
8. Syncopation
When studying and preparing scores, the process outlined below can function as a guide for conductors:
Form
Identify the form (ABA, rondo, sonata allegro, etc.) of the work. Regular and irregular forms will result in different senses of proportion, balance, and momentum, which have a direct bearing upon tempo, organization, and pacing of the performance.
Principal Themes and Their Function
Sketch a catalog of the principal themes that occur in the work. This provides a method to track the structure and identify what material is new, what is repeated, and what is transformed. Once the themes have been identified, it will then be possible to compare and contrast the thematic material to clarify their importance.
Melody
A work may be structured upon a short motif, such as the opening motto of Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5,” organized around leitmotifs such as in Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde,” or move from one fully developed melody to the next, as in “Swan Lake” by Tchaikovsky. Sensitivity to these formal elements may provide insight to melodic and thematic material as it returns, is transformed, or developed.
Harmony
Be aware of changing harmonic tensions, and how this relates to elements such as tone quality, tempo, and rubato. Look beyond tension and relaxation for nuanced moments that may affect poise, motion, affirmation, or poignancy.
Orchestration and Tessitura
Consider the registers that are employed for each instrument (tessitura), as well as the combination of instruments used (orchestration). Observe the resulting textures and sonorities that may be rich or transparent, lithe or robust.
Rhythm
Perhaps the most primal element in music is rhythm. It may flow with serenity, pleasantly entertain, or grip the audience with primitive barbarity. Determine if the rhythmic patterns contained in the melody show energy or relaxation, and whether the overall nature possesses an unpredictable or assertive character.
Dynamics
Note how dynamics contribute to the shape and structure of the work while emphasizing dramatic high points. Keep in mind that if a dynamic is maintained for a significant length of time, then subtle gestures are usually required in order to maintain vitality.
Historical, Personal, and Political Context
Understanding the composer and their world provides a context by which a work may be more fully understood. It is worth noting how one work may compare to another by the same composer. For example, “The Planets,” “Hammersmith,” and “Suite No. 1 in E-flat” are works by Gustav Holst that display a considerable range of style by comparison to each other. Elements such as war or Eastern philosophy may be influences that are represented within the composition, and that may reflect the culture and attitude of both the composer and the audience of the period. A work may be viewed as a ceremonial, heroic or sarcastic commentary upon its time.
Stylistic Convention
Examine if the work is representative of its time. Elements that would have been novel or shocking in their day may be missed in the current context. For example, the humor and harmonic twists in the works of Haydn may have been more evident in a time before the harmonic emancipation that led to serial composition. The spectrum of the dynamic range was also different in an era that preceded the jet engine and amplified electronic instruments.
Dramatic Peaks and Overall View
Determine if there is one clear moment of climax, or a series of high points throughout the work. This will help to determine how to pace elements such as tempo and dynamics. An overall sense of the architecture will allow informed control of the individual events as they unfold over the course of the work.
Aesthetic Considerations
Does the work mirror a waterfall or sunset, that connects with the natural world and human emotion? While the experience of a musical performance will be felt differently by each listener, the aesthetic range and the artistic intent of the work, from the functional to the abstract, are all matters that the conductor should carefully consider. What sensations does the work evoke? The sum of these ingredients should lead the conductor to a feeling and vision for the piece and how to perform it in a deeply understood and evocative manner.
The “Big Picture”
Once the preliminary analytical framework of the piece has been completed, the goal is to lead toward a sense of the artistic center and emotional core of the work. The conductor’s role is to function as a conduit between the composer, the performers, and the audience. Communication of the essence of the work is the necessary condition to achieve a level of artistry and aesthetic experience. The conductor is the “informed guide” that leads the performers and the audience alike through the peaks, plains, and valleys, knowing when to move forward and when to relax in order to take in a musical vista. Score study is just the first step in improving your conducting, facilitating communication, and making sound musical decisions.
Video: Score Study, a Conductor's Perspective
Score: Eine Kleine Nactmusik, K. 525, Mozart
Video: Philosophy on Score Study
Using Colored Pencils to Highlight Items in the Score: When preparing repertoire, some conductors like to use colored pencils to mark certain items in their scores. The use of colors highlights special considerations and serve to act as a reminder to the conductor during rehearsals and performances.
1. Red pencil - forte dynamics
2. Blue pencil - piano dynamics
3. Orange pencil - meter changes
4. Green pencil - cues
5. Purple pencil - tempo changes
6. Black pencil - articulations
7. Highlighters - themes and material that you wish to bring out
Video: Conducting Elements, Score Study
Score Mapping and Conducting Activity/Assessment: Access the scores and recordings below for this score mapping and conducting assignment. From the links provided, print a copy of each of the scores to use for your assignment, then follow the score mapping directions outlined on the assignment sheet to prepare your score and to complete your score map. Then, practice conducting from your scores along to the video recording links provided below. Once you are proficient at conducting along to the recordings, make your own video recording of yourself conducting along to the recordings. When you make your recording, have the audio playing in the background loudly enough so that it can be heard on the recording. Set your recording device about 5 feet in front of you so that the video view will display both your gestures and your facial expressions while you are conducting. Submit your recordings for the three works as either mp4 files or a MOV files to the module 4 assignments folder.
Video: Wayne Marshall conducts Brahms, Hungarian Dance No. 5
Score: Brahms, Hungarian Dance No. 5
Video: Roderick Cox conducting Beethoven Symphony No. 4, mvmt. 4
Score: Beethoven, Symphony No. 4
Video: Jonathan Taylor Rush conducting Stravinsky, L'Histoire du Soldat
Score: Stravinsky, L'Histoire du Soldat
Congratulations, you are now an advanced conductor and ready to lead your ensemble in engaging, expressive musical performances! As with any musical art form, the study of conducting is a lifelong journey, so be sure to continue your observation and study of various conductors to increase your skill level and effectiveness on the podium by checking out the following recommended workshops, conferences and competitions:
Midwest Clinic, Reynolds Conducting Institute
Sphinx Connect 2022 Fellowship Opportunities
In addition, many colleges and universities offer conducting workshops throughout the year for additional opportunites for continued study. A few upcoming examples include:
Friday, October 1–Sunday, October 3, 2021 (IN-PERSON)
Arizona State University Wind Conducting Workshop
musicdancetheatre.asu.edu/events/conducting-workshop
Clinicians: Jason Caslor, Jamal Duncan, James Hudson
Friday, November 12–Saturday, November 13, 2021 (IN-PERSON)
Columbus State University Schwob Conductors Workshop
Registration opens mid-September
Clinicians: Michael Haithcock, Lindsay Kesselman, Kevin Sedatole, Jamie L. Nix
Sunday, November 14, 2021 (IN-PERSON)
La Sierra University Instrumental Conducting Workshop
Clinicians: Sharon Lavery, Giovanni Santos
Saturday, February 5, 2022 (IN-PERSON)
Missouri State University Conducting Workshop
missouristate.edu/band
Clinicians: Mallory Thompson, John Zastoupil
Friday, February 18–Saturday, February 19, 2022 (IN-PERSON)
Illinois Band Conductors Symposium
bands.illinois.edu/conducting-symposium
Clinicians: Stephen Peterson, Rodney Dorsey
Also, make sure to join this online Facebook group for more up-to-date news and announcements: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1470435413219827/
Good luck on your journey!
References:
Webpages:
Beethoven, Ludwig van. Symphony No. 4 [Musical score]. Retrieved from https://ks4.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/c/c2/IMSLP210820-SIBLEY1802.12551.bb9a-39087009343056score_pp_3-44.pdf
Brahms, Johannes. Hungarian Dance No. 5 [Musical score]. Retrieved from https://ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/0/09/IMSLP338706-SIBLEY1802.21594.84ec-39087009474653score.pdf
Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel. Hiawatha’s Departure [Musical score]. Retrieved from https://ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/2/20/IMSLP100021-PMLP45230-Coleridge-Taylor_-_The_Song_of_Hiawatha,_Op.30_-_No._4_Hiawatha's_Departure_(orch._score).pdf
Debussy, Claude. La Mer [Musical score]. Retrieved from https://ks4.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/b/b6/IMSLP15420-Debussy_-_La_Mer_(orch._score).pdf
Mahler, Gustav. Symphony No. 2 [Musical score]. Retrieved from https://ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/5/50/IMSLP415749-PMLP49406-GMahler_Symphony_No.2_fe_UE_reprint_RSL2.pdf
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525 [Musical score]. Retrieved fromhttps://ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/5/57/IMSLP01776-Mozart_EineKleineNachtmusik_Score.pdf
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Symphony No. 40, K. 550 [Musical score]. Retrieved from https://ks.imslp.net/files/imglnks/usimg/1/1a/IMSLP00072-Mozart_-_Symphony_No_40_in_G_minor,_K550.pdf
Stavinsky, Igor. L’Histoire du Soldat [Musical score]. Retrieved from http://www.petruccilibrary.us/linkhandler.php?path=files/imglnks/music_files/PMLUS01491-Stravinsky_-_Histoire_du_soldat_(score).pdf
Unknown. Free Printable Manuscript Paper [Webpage]. fMakingMusicFun.net. Retrieved from
https://makingmusicfun.net/htm/printit_manuscript.php
Villa-Lobos, Heitor. Choros No. 10 [Musical score]. Retrieved from https://petruccimusiclibrary.ca/files/imglnks/caimg/4/47/IMSLP40985-PMLP89597-Villa-Lobos_-_Chôros_No._10_(score).pdf
Videos:
Apollosfirebaroque. (January 23, 2019). MOZART Symphony no. 40 in G Minor – DRESS REHEARSAL – Sorrell/Apollo's Fire [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrfkcFsi9RY
Cox, Roderick. (November 18, 2020). Beethoven: Symphony No. 4, mov. 4- Dallas Symphony [Video file]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYikc-LgvxQ
Harrison, Brad. (February 1, 2019). Concert Pitch and Transposing Instruments - Everything You Need to Know in 7 Minutes [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t1FNTQHpAc
Muehl, Nathan. (March 14, 2015). Score Study [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfOerE1cKDM
My Italian Circle. (January 23, 2020). Italian for Musicians 1 - Tempo markings | Italian Music Terminology [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShEicTwC1S4
My Italian Circle. (January 30, 2020). Italian for Musicians 2 - Dynamics | Italian Music Terminology [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9BpbUz7GDw
My Italian Circle. (February 13, 2020). Italian for Musicians 3 - Expression & Articulation | Italian Music Terminology [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xjKeqIfVAM
Nam, Ho Giang. (November 6, 2020). Score Marking - Fundamentals of Rehearsing Music Ensembles [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R7cXjNdWLc
National Arts Centre. (January 2, 2020). Preparing a Score | Conducting 101 [Part 6 of 6] [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUnPMKoeq-A
OrchestrationOnline. (December 3, 2009). Score-Reading Part 1: Your Visual Ear [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc4Ljc0Rroo
OrchestrationOnline. (December 3, 2009). Score-Reading Part 3: Reading Mozart [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi9VwSq-vbo
Rush, Jonathan Taylor. (March 12, 2019). Jonathan Taylor Rush - Stravinsky L'Histoire du Soldat, Danse du Diable
[Video file}. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiXwL7LmBuA
SinfonicadeGalicia. (September 2, 2016). W. A. Mozart: Symphony nº 40 - Dima Slobodeniouk - Sinfónica de Galicia [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzUJWDU_1Rg&t=9s
Symphony Nova Scotia. (October 7, 2019). Symphony 101: Why are musical terms in Italian? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlWARUR2IpA
WocomoMUSIC. (October 18, 2020). Brahms - Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Wayne Marshall, Orchestre national d’Île-de-France) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq_TBLeoRrc
Wrcjfmorg. (July 25, 2008). Detroit Symphony conductor Thomas Wilkins discusses Mozart [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeZ5qD_3GRI
Images:
DeveshT. May 27, 2017. "Italian Flag" CC0 1.0
Glad, Jonatan Svennson. April 7, 2017. "Multiple colored pencils 07" CC BY-SA 4.0
Markovich, Sanja. October 8, 2011. "Aleksandar Markovic" CC BY-SA 3.0
Pichler, Birgit. December 28, 2018. "Maria Makraki" CC BY-SA 4.0
Unknown. "Grey tilt selective photograph of music notes notes free image" by photostockeditor.com, CC0 1.0
Unknown. "Clarinet" by https://pxhere.com, CC0 1.0
Unit 3: Activities
Musical Terms Translation Activity
In the following scores, identify and provide definitions and translations for all Italian, French, or German terms related to titles, tempo indications, dynamic markings, articulation markings, and expressive interpretations.
· Hiawatha’s Departure, from The Song of Hiawatha, Op.30, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)
Score: Hiawatha's Departure, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
· Choros No. 10, Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Score: Choros No. 10, Heitor Villa-Lobos
· La Mer, Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
· Symphony No. 2, Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Score: Symphony No. 2, Gustav Mahler
Mozart Score Study Axtivity
Essentially, the purpose of score study is to understand and to be able to accurately portray the composer’s intentions through performance of a composed work. Beyond the basics of musical terminology and instrumental transpositions, it is important for a conductor to be able to understand the architecture, proportion, and meaning of the work that he or she will be conducting, so that he or she may lead the musicians in a performance that accurately reflects the composer’s thoughts, ideas and intentions.
Video: Score Study: Mozart, Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550
Access the score and recording below so that you can listen to the recording and then practice reading the score while conducting along to the recording:
IMSLP Score: Mozart, Symphony No. 40, K. 550
Video: Dima Slobodeniouk conducting Mozart, Symphony No. 40, K. 550
The following videos chronicle a rehearsal of the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire, conducted by Jeannette Sorrell, performed on period instruments, and an interview with Maestro Thomas Wilkins, both excellent additional resources to consult when preparing to conduct any of the late Mozart symphonies.
Video: Jeannette Sorrell rehearsing Mozart, Symphony No. 40, K. 550
Video: Maestro Thomas Wilkins, Mozart Interview
Score Study Exercise - Conductor's Perspective
Once the preliminary analytical framework of the piece has been completed, the goal is to lead toward a sense of the artistic center and emotional core of the work. The conductor’s role is to function as a conduit between the composer, the performers, and the audience. Communication of the essence of the work is the necessary condition to achieve a level of artistry and aesthetic experience. The conductor is the “informed guide” that leads the performers and the audience alike through the peaks, plains, and valleys, knowing when to move forward and when to relax in order to take in a musical vista. Score study is just the first step in improving your conducting, facilitating communication, and making sound musical decisions.
Video: Score Study, a Conductor's Perspective
Score: Eine Kleine Nactmusik, K. 525, Mozart
Score Mapping Activity
Access the scores and recordings below for this score mapping and conducting assignment. From the links provided, print a copy of each of the scores to use for your assignment, then follow the score mapping directions outlined on the assignment sheet to prepare your score and to complete your score map. Then, practice conducting from your scores along to the video recording links provided below. Once you are proficient at conducting along to the recordings, make your own video recording of yourself conducting along to the recordings. When you make your recording, have the audio playing in the background loudly enough so that it can be heard on the recording. Set your recording device about 5 feet in front of you so that the video view will display both your gestures and your facial expressions while you are conducting. Submit your recordings for the three works as either mp4 files or a MOV files to the module 4 assignments folder.
Video: Wayne Marshall conducts Brahms, Hungarian Dance No. 5
Score: Brahms, Hungarian Dance No. 5
Video: Roderick Cox conducting Beethoven Symphony No. 4, mvmt. 4
Score: Beethoven, Symphony No. 4
Video: Jonathan Taylor Rush conducting Stravinsky, L'Histoire du Soldat
Unit 3: Assessment
Assessment #1 Musical Terms Translations
In the following scores, identify and provide definitions and translations for all Italian, French, or German terms related to titles, tempo indications, dynamic markings, articulation markings, and expressive interpretations.
· Hiawatha’s Departure, from The Song of Hiawatha, Op.30, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)
Score: Hiawatha's Departure, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
· Choros No. 10, Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959)
Score: Choros No. 10, Heitor Villa-Lobos
· La Mer, Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
· Symphony No. 2, Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Score: Symphony No. 2, Gustav Mahler
Assessment #2 Transpositions & Arranging
Assessment #3 Score Maps
Access the scores and recordings below for this score mapping and conducting assignment. From the links provided, print a copy of each of the scores to use for your assignment, then follow the score mapping directions outlined on the assignment sheet to prepare your score and to complete your score map. Then, practice conducting from your scores along to the video recording links provided below. Once you are proficient at conducting along to the recordings, make your own video recording of yourself conducting along to the recordings. When you make your recording, have the audio playing in the background loudly enough so that it can be heard on the recording. Set your recording device about 5 feet in front of you so that the video view will display both your gestures and your facial expressions while you are conducting. Submit your recordings for the three works as either mp4 files or MOV files to the Unit 3 assignments folder.
Video: Wayne Marshall conducts Brahms, Hungarian Dance No. 5
Score: Brahms, Hungarian Dance No. 5
Video: Roderick Cox conducting Beethoven Symphony No. 4, mvmt. 4
Score: Beethoven, Symphony No. 4
Video: Jonathan Taylor Rush conducting Stravinsky, L'Histoire du Soldat
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