The profession of a conductor is heavily associated with advanced training and high attention to details, which includes precise movements and ability to guide the group of musicians. The focus of this writing, however, shifts from the necessity of acquiring industry-related skills to the comprehensive understanding of the work of a conductor on the whole. In particular, this assignment provides a brief overview of the course-related knowledge, primarily focusing on precision conduction, art of trusting one’s musical instincts, and mimetics.
Precision Conduction
The body parts utilized in precision conduction are frequently compared to actors. To explain the role of the arm in the process, Sharp (2003) analyzes its functions separately under the division of upper arm, lower arm, hand, fingers, palm, and elbow. Along with an utmost explanation of the dramatic gestural language for each of the constituents, the author interprets other signaling gestures, such as the conductor’s head, forehead, eyes, mouth, and even eyebrows. The conductor’s communication is further enhanced by the movements of the trunk, including the overall posture, shoulders, and general stance (Sharp 2003).
The aforementioned body parts do not only send critical signals to the musicians but also communicate a leadership status of the conductor itself. The remainder of the sixth chapter is devoted to the discussion of the three functions of precision conduction, such as meter/tempo, interpretation, start/entrance, and stop/cutoff.
Trusting One’s Musical Instincts
Regardless of the number of music degrees held by conductors, the primary feature all professionals should share is an ability to trust one’s musical instincts. According to Jordan (2009), for an expert in the field, it is essential to have not only powerful music voice but also human voice, meaning that a conductor has to understand and accept the team. By evoking their voice with precise gestures, professionals learn to shift their focus from advanced training to an independent musical aptitude – an ability to use the innate talent, so-called gut, to guide the singers. The author highlights that conduction principles rely on the relationship between musical creativity and faith (Jordan 2009). In other words, to create masterpieces, one needs to be able to blindly trust one’s ear and musical voice.
Mimetics
The mimetic theory addresses the inherent feeling of envy, often experienced by conductors. Though present in all the professions, thrive to achieve perfection may be especially harmful in the musical industry. As explained by Jordan (2009), willing to hear a perfect sound only, experts tend to express overt negative reaction during the rehearsals which discourages musicians. Instead of taking a mental shortcut and focusing on the beauty of the music, as a final product of this creative collaboration, conductors are advised to grow their awareness about an existing conscious choice (Jordan 2009). Rather than confronting singers for not delivering the best results possible, professionals should love, encourage, and care for them in times of artistic crisis.
Conclusion
This assignment investigates the constituents of precision conduction, such as arms, head, face, posture, trunk, and others with response to its three distinctive functions: meter/tempo, interpretation, start/entrance, and stop/cutoff. The art of conduction is explained primarily through the prism of building and maintaining trust to one’s inner aptitude of guiding the musicians by listening to one’s ear and voice. Professionals are also discouraged from the inherent feeling of envy and perfectionist tendencies at the work. Instead of aiming for a perfect sound during the rehearsals, the emphasis should be put on the maintenance of nurturing and loving environment.
References
Jordan, James. 2009. Fundamentals of Choral Conducting. 2nd ed. Chicago, Ill.: GIA Publication.
Sharp, Timothy. 2003. “Conducting the Score: The Drama of Conducting.” In Precision Conducting: Achieving Choral Blend and Balance, 33-52. Dayton, Ohio: Lorenz Publishing Company.