Discussion Panel: Page 14

Before I list any particular rehearsal techniques, I would like to acknowledge the fact that there are almost 100 members of the orchestra facing one conductor, so everyone should be sensitive to this imbalance. I am sure if I was the one up there I would feel some degree of anxiety, especially if I was […]

OK, Rehearsal Techniques. William Buchman hit one nail right on the head when he decried the kind of rehearsal technique where the conductor stops to make a correction right away. I was in a rehearsal when the conductor managed to stop the orchestra over 100 times in just the first 90 minutes of the rehearsal. […]

Here are some of my pet peeves, in no particular order: – Saying you want to just “start the piece again” in a rehearsal, then running practically the whole thing. It makes me think you don’t have an idea what you really want to accomplish. – Playing through something, then playing through the same thing […]

We’ve suggested discussing rehearsal technique for our second day. In essence, we’ve asked the panelists to think about what particular rehearsal techniques drive them nuts (and why), and what techniques conductors could use more often than they do. Please consider sending in your own rehearsal technique pet peeve(s) (register with Polyphonic and use a comment […]

I’m supposed to be helping to moderate this discussion, not participate in it. But I found my own questions too tempting not to answer. So here are my five ways to have your orchestra not hate working for you: Don’t talk so much. No one became a musician because they wanted to hear conductors talk. […]

In asnwer to our question for the first day: Hmmm… I can think of one thing: it would be great if all conductors could actually trust the musicians to play the music to the best of their abilities. I’ve often wondered what it is that makes an orchestra respond positively to one conductor and not […]

The Reign of Terror in the orchestra world is over. The autocratic maestro who rules with an iron hand and ends careers with a flick of a baton is no more. As orchestras continue to evolve and develop, musicians have to learn more and more skills that have nothing to do with playing an instrument. […]

Balance (noun) – 1. a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc. When I was deciding on a theme for my contribution to this discussion, I kept returning to the notion that we have to balance many different facets of our musical careers (and no I am not talking about issues […]

I remember once having to respond to a reporter, because I was on the search committee for a new conductor, to answer the question, “what are the musicians looking for in a conductor.” I said, “God.” And then we both laughed because we both knew there was an element of truth in the response. Everyone […]

Baton Technique I think that baton technique is overrated. A conductor can have the most elegant stick technique, and yet if there is no poetry behind the technique, there will be no music made. And yet there are times that a good baton is essential. And then, for example, if all the beats go up-and-down […]