Course Objectives:

Upon the successful completion of Music 335, the student will:

1.  understand that the goal of the mature conductor is to be clear, musical and help their ensemble in any way they can to perform better - more musically - more expressively

2.  develop basic conducting skills and a podium presence which will enable them to be more efficient conductors and teachers

3.  understand that successful conducting, really is successful rehearsing and that the ability to hear accurately and think on your feet is essential to successful teaching

4.  develop an appreciation for conducting as an art, not the mindless "flopping about" of one's arms

5. understand that the art and craft of conducting is more head than hand

Specific goals will include:

1. work on basic beat patterns [metrical and non-metrical]

2. development of melded gestures

3. development of weighted gestures

4. development of the techniques of the fermata, the cue and the preparatory beat

5. development of expressive gestures with right and left hands

6. development of an understanding of the musical line

7. study of score order/instrumentation/transpositions/overtone series

8. study of selection of literature

9. development of an appreciation for great conductors of the past and present

  As students of conducting, we must remember that our primary role is to gain an understanding of the expressive import in a piece of music.  Through a study of conducting, we strive to refine gestures and other communicative devices which will bring this expressive nature of the music to our ensembles.  In music, we must strive to always be both student and teacher.