Conducting Notes

Feedback Loop: Gesture, Listen, Respond

Gesture: Show your point of view

Listen: Evaluate the Ensemble’s interpretation of your gesture

Respond: Give feedback and/or change your gesture to clarify meaning

Laban Movement Efforts: Float, Glide, Dab, Flick, Wring, Press, Punch, Slash

Aspects of Gesture: Speed, Size, Weight, Plane, Height

Speed: Slow to Fast

Size: Small to Large

Weight: Light to Heavy

Plane: Horizontal, Vertical Sagittal

Height: High to Low

Parts of a Gesture: Preparation, Ictus, Rebound

Preparation: Motion towards the beat. Indicates style, tempo and dynamic

Ictus: The beat, when sound begins, reinforces front of the note

Rebound: Motion away from the beat. Shows middle and end of the note. Rebound becomes the preparation of the next sound.

Parts of the Body Used for Expression: Face, Right Hand/Baton, Left Hand

Hinges Used when Creating Gesture: Wrist (Most), Elbow, Shoulder (Least)

What is purpose of score study: To become maximally helpful in the process of sharing a meaningful performance that honors the composer’s intent, inspires the players to perform with their best artistry, and to gift the audience with something significant.

What does score study involve: Head, Heart, Hands, Ensemble, Audience, Analysis, Interpretation, Technique, Rehearsal, Performance.

Fred Allen’s RETAIN acronym: Read, Examine, Trace, Audiate & Analyze, Interpret & Internalize, Navigate.

Read: everything in, around and about the score and composer.

Examine: the KIT (Key signature(s), Instrumentation, Time signature(s))

Trace: the melodic line and content

Audiate & Analyze: all parts (separately and together)

Interpret and Internalize: the piece in as much detail as possible

Navigate: the performance of the work via gestural practice

Types of Gestural Practice: Video recording or Mirror

Video Recording pros and cons: It mimics real conducting performance, provides an honest display of conducting technique, the focus is on the music and the players, and it allows you to “become your own ensemble”. But the downsides is that feedback is not in real-time and is inefficient for refining specific technical nuances.

Mirroring pros and cons: It gives you immediate real-time feedback and is efficient for refining specific technical nuances, but it doesn’t have a strong correlation to real conducting performance and the focus is on yourself rather than on the ensemble.

Releases: Press or Circle

Press Release: One gesture. Rebound inndicates how and when to release. Best for shorter sounds (ex. stinger of a march).

Circle Release: Two gestures. Release is indicated by its own separate gesture. Release gesture should start and end at the same point. Best for longer sounds (ex. sustained final chord)