That said, I do quite often listen to
OTHER WORKS by the same composer. I do this to become more familiar with the musical language, the compositional tech- niques, and the musical personality of the composer. If I listen to a recording of a piece that I am studying, I will do so only AFTER I have completed the first two phases of this process. At that time I will try to listen to as many different recordings of the piece that I can to hear others’ thoughts about the work.
Internalization After I have analyzed and imagined
the piece, I begin the final phase in the pro- cess. It is here that we truly begin to ‘learn’ the piece. I believe that no one can really ‘know’ anything until they have felt and experienced it for themselves. It is through the internalization process that real ‘know- ing’ takes place. This level includes setting a metronome at the prescribed tempo and trying to ‘hear’ as much of the piece as pos- sible. When I hit a ‘blank space’ in the mu- sic and am not able to hear most of what is there, I will isolate that section and practice it. The method here is not much different from the way in which many of us learned to practice our major instruments; extract a problem section, practice it slowly, and re- turn it to the whole. The use of the metronome is vital. Our
‘conductor’ time is often very different from our ‘performer’ time. If you find that a sec- tion of a piece is difficult for you to hear, it will most likely be difficult for your group to play. These discoveries will assist you in your lesson planning. This internalization process helps the conductor to ‘hear’ and ‘feel’ the music as it proceeds in real time. Try HARD not to move or ‘conduct’
when you are involved with any phase of this process. Moving while studying can, espe- cially in the beginning, lead us to believe we are doing and hearing things that we are not.
Imitation Of Great Conductors And Teachers
We can only do what we ‘know’. We
can really only ‘know’ what we feel. The teachers and conductors that pass through our lives influence us all. For most of us,
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those role models are the reason we have chosen to spend our lives in music edu- cation. In the beginning, we all conduct and teach the way we were conducted and taught. This is natural and, depending upon who the role model was, can be very helpful. However, it is vital that we continue to seek out conducting and teaching role models who exhibit the highest standards of prepa- ration and performance, and to learn from them. This is a lifelong process. There is no finish line.
Conclusion
Like all other techniques in music, conducting is one of many tools a music educator needs to realize a composer’s inten- tions and to help show our students what is possible. We have a solemn obligation to choose the best literature available and to internalize it before our first rehearsal. Knowing only the surface level elements of any piece is much like an English Literature professor teaching a course in Shakespeare’s
“Macbeth” after only having read Cliffs- Notes. The teaching will lack depth, clar- ity, and meaning. Even the most refined, elegant conducting technique is only useful if it is used in the service of realizing a com- poser’s intentions and assists in showing our ensembles what is possible. After almost twenty-five years of teaching at both the high school and uni- versity levels, and after all of the personal and professional struggles experienced, I would change almost none of those expe- riences from the first day until now. Those experiences have contributed to the person and musician that I am today. While it is clear that I still have a long way to go both personally and professionally, I love nearly every minute of it! We are all on the same road. Some of us have simply been on it longer than others. So while you are con- tinuing to improve as both a person and a professional, don’t forget to enjoy it! We are privileged to do what we do everyday. This is something I try never to forget. &
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