Video Reflection
March 20, 2008
Excerpt Video
On Thursday, March 20th, we held our Spring Concert at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Anderson. Both concert bands performed on this concert, each playing a remarkable amount of music (six selections for Symphonic Band and ten for Wind Ensemble). I was fortunate enough to be able to conduct two pieces with Symphonic Band and three with Wind Ensemble. I videotaped myself both from the front and from behind, so a good composite perspective of my conducting was possible. Upon review, I am overall happy with my conducting, though I know there's much room for improvement.
First, it was very clear which pieces I had spent more time working with. For example, I had been conducting Windsprints with the Wind Ensemble nearly since the beginning of the semester. On the other hand, I had been handed excerpts from Carmina Burana just a week before the concert and had only had about three opportunities to rehearse it with the band. I didn't struggle to get through it or anything, and I felt it went pretty well, but I was basically just working to get through it and keep everything (and myself!) together, rather than just sitting back and conducting music as I was able to do so effortlessly with Windsprints. This difference was clear in my conducting.
Carmina Burana aside, though, I felt my conducting was very communicative, even if a little reserved. My "big" patterns just weren't that big, my accents just weren't that accented. I felt like I was doing a lot, and it was effective, at least to a certain degree, but it could have been so much more. Also, Perthshire Majesty was the gorgeous, slow ballad selection. I absolutely love this piece of music. I conducted it well, but I could have done so much more emotionally. This is tough for me, as I tend to be a reserved, quiet (if not shy) person, but this is an area for me to work on. From a mere technical perspective, though, I was in good shape for the whole concert. I didn't miss any patterns or meter changes, I made a lot of useful cues, and I chose very good tempos. Windsprints, which started the program for the Wind Ensemble, was probably faster than we'd yet taken it, but it felt very good, they didn't have any trouble with it, and it gave it just that little boost it needed to be exciting.
With Symphonic Band, it was a bit less about just conducting music, as I had to concentrate more fully on making sure the band stayed together, played its dynamics, got the tempo changes, etc. The group is a bit younger and less mature, and there were a couple points (particularly during Clouds that Sail in Heaven, but even once during Sousa Palooza) that I became a little concerned that the ensemble was going to tear. Fortunately, it never did, but we did lose a little tempo during these times. I give myself a small pat on the back for using clear, effective conducting technique during these times to help solidify for them the tempo, beat, and location in the music.
Lastly, it became apparent, once again, on the video that I have a tendency to sing along with the band. I usually sing melody, but sometimes it is just whatever part is in the forefront of my mind at the time. I tend to do this less with a more-confident group, such as the Wind Ensemble, but I even noticed me doing so with them on occasion. I don't think this is a particularly terrible thing; it shows that I'm trying to literally make music right alongside the students; I don't sing loudly enough to be heard in the audience or be a nuisance. However, it probably looks a little weird, so I should work on that.
All told, this was an exciting concert. It was great to see such high level of musicianship and to see such a comprehensive program played all at one time. I was very proud of our students, and I was also fairly happy with myself and my conducting.
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