An Introduction

Welcome to the World of Conducting!

Whether you’re stepping onto the podium for the first time or honing your skills as a seasoned musician, this textbook will serve as your companion to engaging with the craft of nonverbal musical communication that is conducting. You likely already understand the transformative power that comes from making music in community. As musicians, we have the opportunity to paint the very air with sound, an artistry that deserves intense study, dedication, and critical thought. Embracing the skill and craft of conducting can elevate your artistry by enriching your collaborative process and musical storytelling. In this text, we will explore and enhance technical skill in conducting gestures, musical decision making, and effective communication.

con·duc·tor

/kənˈdəktər/

noun: conductor; plural noun: conductors

BRITISH

a person in charge of a train, streetcar, or other public conveyance, who collects fares and sells tickets.

PHYSICS

a material or device that conducts or transmits heat, electricity, or sound, especially when regarded in terms of its capacity to do this.

“graphite is a reasonably good conductor of electricity”

another term for lightning rod.

MUSIC

a person who directs the performance of an orchestra or choir.

“he was appointed principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra”

As a conductor in the electrical sense allows energy to flow through it, conductors, in the musical sense, allow musical ideas to flow through them to an ensemble, and ultimately, to an audience. Conducting is the art of translating musical ideas into a language that resonates with both musicians and audiences. Like a skilled orator, a conductor employs nuanced gestures, expressive body language, and a keen sense of timing to convey the emotional depth and interpretive nuances of a musical composition. Beyond technical cues, the conductor’s role encompasses several duties: to communicate, to facilitate, to enable, and to empower.

This book, and the accompanying course, lay the groundwork for you to develop technical acuity and understanding of basic conducting gestures and vocabulary, the baton, score study, adding expressivity to gesture by engaging deeply with musical ideas, and some basic rehearsal strategies.

Let’s Conduct!