Posts Tagged ‘Conducting Technique’

This ebook, An Alexander Technique Approach to Conducting (Conductors’) Technique, is published on this website in a PDF format. It is very detailed and practical, and it will give you the physical tools you need to take the limits off of your ability to create the accurate conducting technique you want without sacrificing your body.
This ebook is also for sale on all AMAZON websites in a KINDLE format.
Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A. (MOVEMENT THERAPY)

Poor technique in conducting DOES itself. What do I mean? Every day you practice and/or perform, if you are using a poor technique, that is the technique you use to conduct consistently.

What is a poor technique? It is a technique that makes you struggle in the difficult literature you conduct, makes it difficult to realize the interpretation you want, and is doing damage to your body.

Does it work? It must if you’re a fine conductor. If you’re not very good, then you’re using poor technique and/or you’re not practicing. If it does work, why change poor technique? Does really poor conducting technique really work, even if you conduct well? No! Why?

Because, if you’re technique makes you struggle to conduct what you want, and if it is doing damage to your body, then poor technique lowers your ability to enjoy the music you are creating in the moment. In other words, poor technique can take the joy out of conducting, and make you solely dependent on the positive feedback of listeners to feel good about your conducting.

This is probably not a unique occurrence among classical conductors, since so many are perfectionists. What do I mean? I define a perfectionist conductor as someone who will never ever be satisfied with their conducting, even though the promise they will be satisfied is held out front of each practice session and performance, like a carrot at the end of a stick.

What I just wrote is very black and white, but is it possible for someone who has moderately poor conducting technique to enjoy some of his or her performance in the moment. Yes. But what about the conductor who has to work like a dog to create a pleasing performance? These are the conductors who really need constant external validation. They will probably get into physical trouble and at some point and have to stop conducting, because of injury and/or the fact that conducting is just too hard.

When you tie poor conducting technique to perfectionism, there is no way you’re going to be able to truly enjoy your conducting as you conduct. You will only be able to enjoy making music AFTER THE FACT, if you are able to find things you liked about your conducting and/or you got praise from listeners.

Does poor conducting technique ever work? Is it working if you get what you want out of the orchestra or the choral group? It only truly can be said to work, if at the end of a practice session or a performance you like your interpretation, you aren’t damaging your body, and you feel more ENERGIZED than when you began conducting.

Does this mean there is such a thing as a poor technique that isn’t debilitating in the long run? Let me rephrase this. By definition, a poor conducting technique is an inefficient conducting technique. So, is there an inefficient conducting technique that is harmless to the body and mind and lets you create beautiful music?

Yes. But you probably will have to conduct for short periods, if you don’t want to expose the destructive flaws in your conducting technique.

So, choose to take care of yourself with a kind conducting technique.