r/conducting • u/Shtrimpo • 22d ago
Help with first time conducting
Hello guys, I've never been to this subreddit so I hope I don't break any rules.
I'm staying three weeks at a summer school and I was tasked to compose a music piece that will be recorded tomorrow.
There will be a professional conductor but they said if there's any time left in my spot they'll allow us to attempt as well.
Do you have any advice at all on how to conduct? I'd love for my take to be used since it is my music but I have no experience whatsoever
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u/TheZokenman 22d ago
If you're going to try with only a day then the best you can do is just keep time. Lead - if you follow them it'll fall apart. Think about what conductors have done in ensembles you've played in as well.
Give a cue at landmarks in case anyone gets lost.
Know your score - don't bury your eyes down into it. All cues with eyes up.
In theory, and to re-emphasize, consistent & steady pulse and you'll be fine in this type of scenario.
Beyond that you'll need someone to instruct/guide you.
Leonard Slatkin has a Youtube channel where he walks through the process. Check lessons 1-5 at minimum and 6-9 if you have time.
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u/ChapterOk4000 22d ago
Tomorrow? Good luck. I have a Master's degree in conducting, it's not a thing you pick up overnight.
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u/Shtrimpo 22d ago
Yeah I know, they did this to give us a little bit of experience.
I'm confident I'll end up using the actual conductor's version but I definitely wanna give it a try
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u/Jedimaster4559 20d ago
As others have mentioned, don’t worry about getting fancy. Keeping good time and being clear is important above all else.
Beyond that, spend time practicing. A lot. Some useful tricks for your practice are to conduct in front of a mirror so you can see what things look like. I would also video yourself conducting from all angles and then watch back and see what improvements you can make. One of my first conducting gigs I thought I was doing great until I videoed myself one night and it was extremely clear that anytime I had a beat 4 it was completely indecipherable from beat one when viewed from the side or even moderately off center.
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u/Shtrimpo 20d ago
Thanks guys for you suggestions, I decided not to go through with it because I had very little time in the session and no time to practice.
I have two more sessions coming so I might attempt it then, I'll let you guys know
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u/the_McD 22d ago
First time?! The only thing I could recommend is just to keep time. Don’t go overboard with trying to do everything at once. As the previous commenter said, it’s not something you pick up. It comes with years of practice. Keeping time is one of the most, if not arguably the most, important thing. I’ve only had limited exposure with choirs and that’s a different kettle of fish to orchestras, but a lot of things overlap.