Researchers have investigated the rehearsal procedures of expert wind conductors in a variety of settings and have identified some characteristics of the expert’s rehearsal. Here are the lists of the findings and I hope the information will contribute to the development of band directors and music educators.
1. Researchers have found that expert conductors spend a greater portion of rehearsal time performing (Goolsby, 1999; Pontious, 1982).
2.experts use verbal communication, visual gestures and modeling to bring about change in student performance (Francisco, 1994; Menchaca, 1988; Pontious,1982).
3. Expert conductors address a variety of performance issues in their rehearsals.
4. Goolsby (1999) reported that experts addressed balance/blend, style, tone, intonation and other performance variables more than the novices did.
5. Menchaca (1988) observed that the conductors in his study spent a greater amount of time on fundamental elements of performance rather than on expressive elements.
6. Pontious (1982) reported that of conductor verbalizations addressing fundamental
performance categories, more than 75% addressed phrasing/dynamics, rhythm, pitch, and
articulation while very little time was devoted to style, balance, tone quality, and tone
production.
7. In Francisco’s study (1994), the author concluded that intonation was the most difficult performance problem to correct, that rhythm was easier to correct than intonation, and that technique was the easiest problem to correct.
8. Texas Music Education Research, 2001 M.D. Worthy 3 correct balance and interpretation. Errors in intonation may be more difficult for students to detect and to correct.
9. Cavitt (1998) investigated the process of error correction in five high school and five middle school expert band directors.
10. Middle school directors targeted articulation more frequently than other target categories while high school directors most frequently targeted intonation and tone.
11. Also, high school directors were more likely to address multiple targets simultaneously or have unidentified targets in their rehearsal segments than middle school teachers.
12. Goolsby (1999) reported that expert teacher spent more time performing in rehearsals while novice teachers spent more time giving verbal instructions.
13. Experts addressed balance/blend, style, tone, intonation and other performance variables more than the novices did.
14. Novice teachers were limited to dynamics and entrances while expert teachers commented on many variables throughout the rehearsal.
15. Goolsby also reported more complete teaching cycles for expert teachers than novice teachers, indicating that novice teachers stopped and started without providing instruction more frequently than did the expert teachers.
Reference
Cavitt, M. E. (1998). A descriptive analysis of error correction in expert teachers' instrumental music rehearsals. (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin, 1998).
Francisco, J. M. (1994). Conductor communication in the ensemble rehearsal: The relative effects of verbal communication, visual communication, and modeling on performance improvement of high school bands (Doctoral dissertation: Indiana University, 1994).
Goolsby, T. W. (1999). A comparison of expert and novice music teachers’ preparing identical band compositions:
an operational replication. Journal of Research in Music Education, 47, 174-187.
Menchaca, L. A. (1988). A descriptive analysis of secondary instrumental conductor rehearsal problem-solving approaches, addressed musical elements and relationship to student attitude. (Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University, 1988).
Pontious, M. F. (1982). A profile of rehearsal techniques and interaction of selected band conductors. (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1982).
Worthy, M. D. (2001) Observation and analysis of an expert wind conductor in high school vs. college rehearsals. Reports of research in music education. Austin, Texas. Texas Music Educators Association.
1. Researchers have found that expert conductors spend a greater portion of rehearsal time performing (Goolsby, 1999; Pontious, 1982).
2.experts use verbal communication, visual gestures and modeling to bring about change in student performance (Francisco, 1994; Menchaca, 1988; Pontious,1982).
3. Expert conductors address a variety of performance issues in their rehearsals.
4. Goolsby (1999) reported that experts addressed balance/blend, style, tone, intonation and other performance variables more than the novices did.
5. Menchaca (1988) observed that the conductors in his study spent a greater amount of time on fundamental elements of performance rather than on expressive elements.
6. Pontious (1982) reported that of conductor verbalizations addressing fundamental
performance categories, more than 75% addressed phrasing/dynamics, rhythm, pitch, and
articulation while very little time was devoted to style, balance, tone quality, and tone
production.
7. In Francisco’s study (1994), the author concluded that intonation was the most difficult performance problem to correct, that rhythm was easier to correct than intonation, and that technique was the easiest problem to correct.
8. Texas Music Education Research, 2001 M.D. Worthy 3 correct balance and interpretation. Errors in intonation may be more difficult for students to detect and to correct.
9. Cavitt (1998) investigated the process of error correction in five high school and five middle school expert band directors.
10. Middle school directors targeted articulation more frequently than other target categories while high school directors most frequently targeted intonation and tone.
11. Also, high school directors were more likely to address multiple targets simultaneously or have unidentified targets in their rehearsal segments than middle school teachers.
12. Goolsby (1999) reported that expert teacher spent more time performing in rehearsals while novice teachers spent more time giving verbal instructions.
13. Experts addressed balance/blend, style, tone, intonation and other performance variables more than the novices did.
14. Novice teachers were limited to dynamics and entrances while expert teachers commented on many variables throughout the rehearsal.
15. Goolsby also reported more complete teaching cycles for expert teachers than novice teachers, indicating that novice teachers stopped and started without providing instruction more frequently than did the expert teachers.
Reference
Cavitt, M. E. (1998). A descriptive analysis of error correction in expert teachers' instrumental music rehearsals. (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin, 1998).
Francisco, J. M. (1994). Conductor communication in the ensemble rehearsal: The relative effects of verbal communication, visual communication, and modeling on performance improvement of high school bands (Doctoral dissertation: Indiana University, 1994).
Goolsby, T. W. (1999). A comparison of expert and novice music teachers’ preparing identical band compositions:
an operational replication. Journal of Research in Music Education, 47, 174-187.
Menchaca, L. A. (1988). A descriptive analysis of secondary instrumental conductor rehearsal problem-solving approaches, addressed musical elements and relationship to student attitude. (Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University, 1988).
Pontious, M. F. (1982). A profile of rehearsal techniques and interaction of selected band conductors. (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1982).
Worthy, M. D. (2001) Observation and analysis of an expert wind conductor in high school vs. college rehearsals. Reports of research in music education. Austin, Texas. Texas Music Educators Association.
A good conductor, however, can indicate much more with the beat than just information about tempo and meter. It's not only the pattern and speed that count, but also the qualities of the beat. Expansive gestures, tight gestures, large or small gestures, and motions that are smooth, choppy, delicate, or violent all convey different information and can elicit different musical results. With a good conductor — and a good orchestra — the quality of sound the orchestra produces is influenced by the qualities of the beat, by the character of the conductor's physical gestures.
ReplyDeleteAnd these physical gestures are not limited to the hand with the baton. They include complementary gestures of the left hand, as well as overall "body language." In fact, especially from the point of view of musical expressiveness — dynamics, phrasing, sound quality, and so forth — conductors lead by a kind of multilevel physical seduction, a seduction of which the orchestra musicians may not even be aware. This is why even individuals who have fine musical minds and/or "great hands" — some instrumentalists turned conductor, for example — don't necessarily make good conductors if they are unrefined in their larger movements or physically awkward in a general way. Then again, people can be seductive in many different ways, and conductors of widely differing physiques, physical styles, and temperaments can be effective. In conducting, as in everything else, the absolute rule is that nothing is absolute