MUSIC 499

A director/conductor receives access to the ‘score’ of the musical piece. The score shows ALL of the parts at play; whereas each musician has access to their individual part… and can only know what is going on around them if they are listening intently and/or if the conductor lets them know. Due to the reality that the conductor “sees & knows all”, it is vitally important to have a systems-thinking mindset—where each part can be seen for how it impacts the whole. In order to attain true beauty, and aim towards the highest levels of excellence, it is imperative to be able to know how to “put it all together”... to be able to bring together so many differing musical contents in order to form a collective work of auditory art. It is said that “silence is the canvas where musicians paint”. It can be likened to a notion where a painter needs to use a plethora of colors and a variety of tools to craft a beautiful scenery of a mount overlooking a lake; it would take greens, blues, shading techniques, and more and more and more. Much is being a conductor, where the individual musicians are the colors and the verbal feedback & baton gestures are the tools in which the colors are brought to the canvas.

Conducting a band is an inherently collaborative process, where the director provides a vision for the ensemble and sets goals/checkpoints leading up to the performance. During the rehearsal process and weeks & months prior to the performance, the musicians and director exchange ideas and designate differing levels of responsibility to the members of the ensemble. From deciding who has what part, who gets the solo moments, and what notions of beauty to aim for at verifying moments throughout the music, it is collaboration that brings everyone together to journey towards a shared vision. Reaching a common objective in an effective way as a group, where responsibilities are equally distributed, takes trust, mutual respect, and effort from each member. Everyone in the band is equally important—every part is needed; however, not every part is equally prominent. It is like a painting missing the background trees. You may not think they are important because it’s not the focus but they add so much!

Nearly the entire rehearsal process is based on the director providing feedback to the musicians. Whether that be providing constructive criticisms, positive affirmations, or neutral suggestions, the director is constantly assessing the ensemble and seeking ways for musicality to improve. While conducting, it is necessary to actively listen for what is going well (in order to affirm it) and what needs to be addressed. In order to provide feedback that can be received wholeheartedly, it is key to have gentle yet firm delivery, with clear & concise verbiage that is both honest and compassionate. As a person who is essentially in-charge of providing feedback, it is fundamental to have intentionality in the rate, pitch, volume, and tone of speaking towards individuals and the ensemble as a whole. It is salient to be conscious of how one’s words impact others, and to always give feedback from a place of love—being deliberate and delicate in chosen words used to convey information to those you are leading.

The art of conducting in and of itself is a form of nonverbal communication. Literally, the entire can be used to convey necessary information to elicit intended musical responses from the ensemble. When standing on the podium, body language matters above all else! From gestures, facial expressions, proximity to the musicians when hopping off and moving around the room, and more, conductors utilize nonverbal techniques to lead the ensemble towards musical beauty. The gestures of the conductor impact everything, from how light an articulation is, to how loud the band crescendos and how intense the peaks of the music are. The smallest movement can have the most meaning to the musicians. They should be able to keep time and play without the conductor… hence, when the conductor is added, it’s all for artistry. Essentially, the conductor serves to guide the watcher as to what to focus on in the music. The conductor should be showing the artistry of music… not enforcing the tempo. During the performance, the conductor reminds the band of things done in rehearsal and engages in live musical conversation. The ‘ego’ conductors are all about control; whereas the best conductors seek to make art with the musicians, and encourage beauty. It is said that the “eyes are the windows to the soul”... and the best conductor makes eye-contact with the musicians and allows their nonverbal communication to convey the deepest emotions felt by the human heart; in doing so, the musicians can interpret the information and play their instruments more vibrantly with passion.

In order to reach the concert and be prepared enough to put on a good show, the music needs to be great from beginning to end; the only way to do this is to have an overarching plan in mind for all the rehearsals that precede the performance. As a conductor of the UW Symphonic Band, I layed out a detailed ‘road map’ for all ten rehearsals leading up to the finale concert. Each rehearsal was thoroughly planned out: From what the talking points/announcements would be, what the warm-ups are, and what sections of the music would be focused on and what goals would be sought after. In addition, deadlines for completion of certain passages of music were set, and objectives were always presented ahead of time for subsequent rehearsals—ensuring that the musicians would be able to come prepared and ready to collaborate and strive for the highest.

“When you change the way you look at things the things you look at change”. This notion is one that keeps my mind open to ALL feedback… because others may have a differing perspective/view of the situation and better assess and prescribe remedies for continual improvement. As part of the MUSIC 499 experience, I was able to be mentored by the director of the UWSB, as well as other faculty of the School of Music. I found that there is a stark difference between hearing and listening; I could hear their feedback and constructive criticisms, but did I fully digest them and take them to heart? Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. If I were to refuse the counsel of others and not listen to wise advice, then I would be prone to repeat the same mistakes that I have already made. Receiving feedback gracefully is a skill I am so grateful to have honed in during this experience. Ultimately, the feedback I received is feedback I continue to reflect on; truly, it is lifelong wisdom that I can apply in any rehearsal context.

“The way you do anything is the way you’ll do everything”—The final performance is the sum of its parts: It takes the collective effort of everyone to give it their all and work together to create beauty as a team to strive for excellence. By raising the ceiling you end up raising the floor; the baseline standard is ultimately shifted when larger visions are set. Since perfection can never technically be achieved, the goal should be to make one’s best, better, every single day. The goal should be to strive for beauty in all ways and to seek to create something worth sharing with the world. As a conductor, it is imperative to bring musical excellence to the ensemble every time you step up on the podium. Without excellence, there is a lack of care & attention for the level of detail required to create true beauty in a musical setting.