In this article for readers who are embarking on conducting studies, I examine one of the most important aspects of conducting that no serious student should be without if they want to develop their craft successfully.
Think back
Most conductors start out in life as either instrumentalists or singers. Indeed, I would always recommend that any student conductor gets as much experience as possible performing as in orchestras, chamber groups, choirs and other music ensembles as possible before starting conducting.
That’s because understanding how it feels to be a musician in a rehearsal and performance environment and the listening, awareness, team work and support required to bring a concert to life is one of the key things a good conductor needs to have a fundamental grasp of in order to be an empathetic, helpful and supportive co-musician on the podium.
Moreover, a conductor needs to have and must continuously develop, self-awareness. In particular, in how the conductor is actually using their body and what that is relaying to the ensemble.
Getting off on the right footing
When we start learning an instrument, how an instrument is held and how the muscles are functioning in holding and/or playing that instrument are a crucial part of getting off on the right footing. Unfortunately, repetitive strain type injuries are all too prevalent in the music profession and often result from excessive and harmful muscular tension which can unconsciously creep in to practice and performance.
When playing or singing start to become ‘forced’ or ‘hard work’ the temptation is to want to try harder and ‘get the notes out’ which can become a vicious circle, with performance becoming more stressful and the quality of the sound produced becoming less pure and sonorous.
Similarly if conductors start off on the wrong footing, it can start to store up problems from the very start.
Aim for a balanced, toned, flexible posture
One trap that beginner conductors can quickly fall into is trying to ‘control’ the music and the musicians. For example, a conductor who is glued to the score because they haven’t invested the essential preparation time in well planned score study and understanding the overarching structure and sub-structure of each piece, movement or phrase will look tense, stiff and/or hunched in some or all of the piece. If the musicians see ‘tense, stiff or hunched’ that is unlikely to make them feel at ease. The sound produced is also likely to suffer as a result.
Similarly, having a clear understanding of how to conduct different time signatures, dynamics and musical transitions and practising them slowly with a metronome to develop correct muscle memory are basic skills that need to be developed and practised time and time again.
As such, the first months and years of conducting studies require a large investment of time in understanding how to conduct with minimal muscular tension and where excess tension exists, learning how to release that tension so that it does not impair the conducting or the performance.
A conductor’s posture needs to be well supported all the way through the back and legs, in order to create the tone, strength and flexibility that the arms, wrists, hands and fingers need to produce the full range of gestures which are needed to bring to life the performance of any piece. In turn, this will unconsciously encourage the musicians to produce a well supported sound.
You will thank yourself in the long run
Being able to conduct proficiently rarely happens over night. If you put unnecessary pressure on yourself to try to become the next Karajan, then the race to succeed could result in poor core foundational skills or store up muscle problems in the longer term.
However, if you focus on developing good muscular awareness, it will help you to avoid the ‘hunched’, ‘stiff’ and ‘collapsed’ look on stage and promote good stage presence which in turn will promote greater confidence in the musicians and free them to play to the best of their ability.