Conducting for Better Communication
Join Dr. Ronnie Oliver, Jr. for eight sessions discussing the foundational aspects of clear, precise, and artistic conducting technique. Dr. Oliver succinctly discusses issues of posture, beat patterns, prep and cut-off gestures, articulations, dynamics, subdivisions, cueing, and fermatas. The goal is a technique that you can build upon for the duration of your career.
This course will emphasize 1) developing clear, understandable gestures, 2) preparing yourself for open communication with your ensemble, and 3) transferring your musical ideas through/with the ensemble.
Upon successful completion of this class, the student will be able to convey clear conducting gestures, including cues, dynamics, articulations, and tempi.
This course gives you two options of participation:
1) Asynchronous participation, in which you watch the videos and work on these concepts on your own.
2) Hybrid of Synchronous and Asynchronous participation, in which you can add on a private session with the instructor to work on those concepts needing more individualized instruction.
Course Outline
Session One: Foundations
- Defaults
- Core-Centered Conducting
- Sound
- Posture/Alignment
- Basic Beat Patterns (1, 2, 3, 4, 6)
Session Two:
- Prep Gestures
- Cut-offs/Release Gestures
Session Three:
- Articulations – Staccato, Legato, Marcato, Tenuto
- Dynamics – beat size and left hand
Session Four:
- Subdivisions
Session Five:
- Cues in Conducting
Session Six:
- Fermatas
Session Seven: Putting it All Together
- You will conduct “Glory to God” (Handel, MESSIAH), using a pre-recorded video of the work.
- You will conduct “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” (Bach), singing the soprano part yourself (in your preferred range and key), and using the three different types of fermatas (as assigned)
