You Want Me to Do WHAT?!
Dr. Don R. Campbell
Dean of Directors College at HU
Okay . . . admit it . . . you’ve always wondered what it would feel like to stand up in front of your chorus and lead them in singing “The Old Songs” or “Keep the Whole World Singing.” You know—the whole “INCREDIBLE COSMIC POWER . . . itty-bitty living space” thing. But you’ve never done it before, you don’t have a music degree, and you don’t want to make a mistake. Well, that never stopped your own director!
Seriously though, the development of the art of conducting began rather humbly. Chant leaders would bounce the hand up and down to show the “takt.” In early instrument groups, the harpsichordist would periodically lead with his hand or head or the first violinist would stop playing and wave his bow to get the players back in time. It wasn’t until the early 1800s that there began a trend to actually develop a systematic approach to conducting with Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Spohr, then Wagner. Of course, with the twentieth century, the cult of the diva conductor began (some say it never ended).
Yes, there are specific things we teach at Directors College that minimize confusion and maximize efficiency, but to get started, you don’t have to have to be perfect—you need to be musical and look confident. Below are some things you can do to prepare for that magical moment of your first conducting experience.
- Watch your director. I know it is a foreign concept, but I’m talking about watching more deeply than just as a chorus member. What does he or she do to prepare the chorus to do any specific action? Before every directing move, there is (or should be) a preparatory gesture that primes the chorus to do whatever is needed at the moment.
- Getting ready . . . Remember that you are inviting the chorus to join you in creating a musical experience. Allow your posture and hands to be inviting and encouraging. I was always amazed when I would ask my chorus guys to lead one of the opening or closing songs. Some would stand up in front with a determined frown and start beating the air with their fists and I’m thinking, “Do I look like that”? It always made me wonder whom they were channeling. To begin, put your hands at your sides and shake them out. In their resting position, you fingers will be slightly curved. Bring your hands up to waist level with palms down. Don’t ball them up into a fist or splay them out rigidly. Keep them relaxed.
- Breathe! Allow the chorus to breathe before they start. That is generally done as upward gesture that feels inspiratory. Then you can bring your hand down to start the chorus on the “downbeat.” (Yes, I know that not all music starts on a downbeat, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.)
- Keep the beat—not the rhythm. In every piece, there is a primary pulse. Sometimes it is slow and sometimes it is fast. As you think about the possibility of trying out your conducting wings don’t worry about the perfect pattern, think about where that pulse is. Whether it is fast or slow, keep it steady—don’t let it fluctuate with the actual rhythms you are singing.
- Now that we’re moving, how do we stop? Remember the first time you rode a bicycle? First there was the exhilaration of freedom and speed. Then remember the abject fear when you realized that your parental unit neglected to teach you how to stop? Well, stopping is a lot like starting. The main thing is to prepare the chorus to either take a breath and go on or to stop altogether at the end of a song. There are two primary ways to show a “cut-off” or “release.” There is the “touch release” and the “circle release.” We don’t have enough room here to demonstrate, but every release must be prepared by some sort of upward gesture that either touches like a downbeat or circles around in a sweeping motion. With that information, watch how your director prepares you.
Getting started with conducting is not rocket surgery. Sure there will be some element of trepidation, but remember, your chapter meeting environment is (or should be) an encouraging one. Try it at home in front of your bathroom mirror and see if you look like the music. If you do, you’re ready to try it out on your chapter.
-DRC