Full Description
A solid foundation of conducting technique is essential to any music student, preparing them to adapt to changing contexts in future. Foundational Conducting: Showing, Listening, Serving provides a concise, streamlined introduction to the core of conducting, that focuses on enabling students to establish interpretive and expressive skills alongside developing gestural and technical mastery of their material. Rehearsing and interpreting music are addressed from the beginning, showing students how the expressive skills from instrumental performance can be applied to the craft of conducting.
Each chapter features step-by-step learning outcomes beginning with simple gestures and patterns with links to video examples, development of interpretive/listening skills and rehearsal language, in-class activities for gesture practice, and simple, one-page unison examples meant for class-as-ensemble session work. Rooted in teaching experience, utilizing contemporary techniques such as video self-review, and reflecting a diverse repertoire, Foundational Conducting prepares students to succeed in the real world of conducting, whether with professional ensembles or as educators.
Contents
Table of contents
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Chapter One
Posture and conducting in one
Elements of expression
Starting and stopping
In-class activities for practice
Chapter Two
More on poise, breath, and the face
Adding expression to first patterns: three, four, and two
Adding the left hand on preps and cues
Foundations of the rehearsal process
In-class activities for practice
Session work
Chapter Three
Starting and releasing on beats other than one
The baton
More uses for the left hand: internal cues, pulls, hooks
Showing, listening, deciding in phrases
In-class activities for practice
Session work
Chapter Four
Cueing off the beat
Starting on offbeats: the unprepared hook
Even more uses for the left hand: crescendo and decrescendo
Error detection and depth analysis
In-class activities for practice
Session work
Chapter Five
Subdivided patterns
Asymmetric meters
Internal fermatas: broken and unbroken
Informed interpretation
In-class activities for practice
Session work
Chapter Six
Mixed meters
Directional cues
Larger forms for analysis, study, and practice
In-class activities for practice
Session work
Appendices
Appendix A: Evaluation form
Appendix B: Gestural conducting rubric
Appendix C: Setups and common expectations for wind, orchestral and vocal groups
Appendix D: Common music score terms
Appendix E: Table of common transposing instruments
Epilogue
Index
