Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Rachel McAdam
AP English 12
Period 5
Research Paper
Being a musician is a tough job. However, the conductor has an even more
difficult and challenging task: leading all the musicians as one coordinated group. This
senior project is about leading your peers to make beautiful music for not only the
pleasure of the audience, but also for the students, encouraging these young players to
play music passionately. Using specific skills, both on the podium and in the classroom,
composer (Engel). To lead the ensemble, there are a series of fundamental techniques
to successfully conduct the group. The baton should be held at the balance point for
maximum control of the beat and to hold it at an inward angle so the ictus (beat) can be
seen clearly by all the students. Minimal swift arm movements should be used to keep
the tempo, as opposed to long exaggerated wrist turns. The less complicated the
general beat, the more room for gestures to cue in certain players and express stylistic
indications (ex: open rigid arms for a strong sound, low and tight hand motions for a
softer sound, etc). Poise and eye contact with the students is needed to instill
confidence and encourage them to play out with all theyve got (Theisen).
Student leaders and teachers assistants play their own part in the class setting.
The challenge is to not take on the role of the teacher, but also not befriend the
students. They must implement the course policies of the teacher without stepping out
McAdam 2
of bounds, as well as maintain a working relationship with the students that is unlike the
to gain the students respect, but it is not the job of the teachers assistant to act like the
teacher, nor to give leniency to the students, such as ending rehearsal early and making
exceptions to be liked. This may result in frustration among the students from a lack of
respect the students (Callahan). Instead, TAs can start by learning the names of the
students, who will appreciate being recognized. Being friendly and approachable makes
the students feel more comfortable, and in most cases they will come to the TA to ask
questions before going to the teacher. Being able to provide sources for class or
Stage fright has long reigned supreme over the minds of performers. Every
performer gets anxiety and nerves before a show, some more intensely than others
(Kageyama). Even the conductors, who have their backs to the audience, feel the strain
of stage fright when it seizes up their bodies. The hard part is to overcome it, not
succumb to the underlying fear that plagues the backs of our minds. Leading up to an
event, visualizing the performance when in rehearsal and individual practice helps ease
any upcoming anxiety, as well as recording yourself playing and watching it later,
preparing yourself through adequate practice, and muscle relaxing techniques. During
the performance, it is better to see [the audience] as allies who are generally
supportive and want to see you do well as opposed to blocking [them] out or seeing
them in their underwear (Abraham and Schneider). But thats not all. Even after the
McAdam 3
performance, ask yourself how did I do before asking for the opinions of others from
the audience viewpoint. Establish a feeling of confidence in how you played to the best
With this knowledge in mind, teaching and conducting music should go over
smoothly in rehearsals and class time. The research from this paper will hopefully
improve the outcome of this project in the program for the November instrumental
concert: Interact.
Works Cited
Abraham, Robert, M.A., and Katherine Schneider, Ph. D. Coping with Music
McAdam 4
07 Oct. 2016.
http://www.uwec.edu/Counsel/pubs/selfhelp/musicanxiety.htm
Students. Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence, 2016. Web. 30 Sept. 2016.
<https://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/TA/Interact/>
Engel, Allison. Young Musicians Put the Emphasis on Performing - With Feeling. USC,
<http://news.usc.edu/102781/young-musicians-put-the-emphasis-on-performing-
with-feeling/>.
Kageyama, Noa. Ph.D. A Few Things Every Musician Ought to Know About Stage
http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/what-every-musician-ought-to-know-about-st
age-fright/