No, not electricity.
Tonight, I made my debut as a conductor.
Eight of my students at one of the local schools were playing my arrangement for four guitars of Paul Simon's arrangement of Scarborough Fair. It didn't go great, but it didn't sink either; my students got a huge round of applause and I got approached by somebody's mum about longer lessons for her son.
It's an education, this teaching lark. I tell you, it's more stressful than performing as a soloist.
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
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Congrats! May I ask what conducting involves tho? I'm aware of the general swishy movements of keeping time, but what's the art beyond that? I can never tell a good conductor from a bad one when watching, beyond observing their time keeping duties. Thx.
The difference between a good conductor and a bad one isn't in the arm waving, Scrybe - it's in the rehearsals.
The conductor has to know what he or she wants from the ensemble, and coach them towards that in rehearsal. And if it becomes obvious in rehearsal that the group can't do it, the conductor will often reassign parts to other instruments (or even rearrange the whole piece) to get as close to the goal as they can.
At performance time it's just the arm waving stuff. And frankly, the better the group, the less they pay attention to that part of it :)
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ahhh, okau, kewl. No wonder I found it hard to tell much difference! I just rated them based on how nuts or trancelike they went during the performance. With my faves being the ones who totally got into it... :lol:
Scrybe, if you happen to catch this show if it gets re-broadcast you can see some of what Barry Douglas is doing in the rehearsals versus the actual performance.
During the actual performance, he is conducting (a bit) and playing piano (a lot) simultaneously.
And Allan, you might get something out of it too, if only a shared pain type of experience. :wink:
I wrapped a newspaper ’round my head
So I looked like I was deep
the conductor's instrument is the entire orchestra or band.
-=tension & release=-
And Allan, you might get something out of it too, if only a shared pain type of experience. :wink:
I tell you, I waved my arms like a mad thing, held up fingers to count the bars, and yelled line and page numbers and yelled loudly for the final cadence.
Shared pain is right on the button :lol:
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
but you collected all the fares and made sure no-one stayed past their stop, didn't you? :D
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
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And definitely no standing on top
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Good for you, Alan!
Many years ago (like, maybe, 1988) a friend's dad was up for a job with the Sydney Philharmonic...for first cello. There was another contender. The maestro sorted them out. They were asked to answer the following question by each writing it down:
"What is the most important instrument in this orchestra?"
My friend's dad wrote "the baton"...and was hired. :wink:
Cat
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
That's awesome! Another feather in your cap!!
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