The To-Do list for HaFaBra conducting students

To-Do list - ‘The Ten Commandments’ for a conductor

1. Study technique. Make a weekly study plan in which many different aspects of your technique development are regularly repeated. Every day!
2. Make score analysis as written in the Metafoor book.
3. Read as much as possible about composers and about styles in relation to scores. Make sure you have good books. Wikipedia is just a source which often gives limited, weak and incorrect information.
4. Listen to very good recordings of great musicians performing top compositions at high level every day in order to develop your interpretative consciousness. Listen to recordings of symphony orchestras and also of the best wind bands. If it is possible, listen to the recordings while watching into the scores. Listen to recordings from all periods in music history.
5. Listen to the recording of the score you are studying but also to other recordings of the same composer or, in the case of specific style pieces, also by other performers.
6. Make a clear plan of how to conduct a score that you have studied.
7. Study how to conduct a score with two completely different techniques: rehearsal technique and concert technique.
8. Play the main harmonies from the score you are studying on the piano. Make sure you have enough knlowledge about the harmonic structure of the score.
9. Read regularly a book from the book list. If you don’t now which book to choose, please ask.
10. Study or/and look also to repertoire that isn’t in your (year) program. Scores of higher and lower level AND for other kinds of ensembles.
11. Take care that your musical AND personal development grow in balance!

Back