Working with the Conductor - Part III

"To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time. "

-Leonard Bernstein


How do you please the conductor while still retaining your sanity?

If you missed last week's -- Working with the Conductor - Part II

  Even though when we are young we are taught to ask questions, that is not the best idea in rehearsal. The conductor has quite a bit on their "To-Do" list, and they want to establish a certain pace to get the most work done. Having to stop and take full ensemble time to solve a personal problem isn't going to be their favorite thing to do. This is can sometimes even result in a demeaning attitude toward the musician.

  Let's say the articulation printed is different from everyone else around you. Instead of asking the conductor if that's a misprint, try it each way. If he notices one of them and calls you out for it, that probably isn't the one to go with. Chances are though, that they won't realize, seeing as how they have a whole ensemble to deal with. So in that case it's left up to you to decide which is more logical and sounds the best. 
  If the scenario is something more complicated and you can't figure it out, then you should wait until after rehearsal and approach the conductor then. Just trust me, you don't want to be "that guy" that is known for always asking too many questions.

  Finally, to put a close on this series for now, here are a couple other great resources that give great insight into the conductor-musician relationship...

--Here's a video that I personally love. At about 4:50 Christian Thielemann perfectly depicts how the conductor feels whens he sees the brass "gearing up to play." Now imagine how Thielemann would react, and we get an idea why the brass does see "the hand" so often.

  Bruce Hembd, from Horn Matters, gives his first-hand advice about how to deal with "the hand." With his vast personal experience it's not surprising he has so much knowledge on this topic. Actually I'm quite eager to try out some of his tips when college rolls around. -- "Ein Hand-enleben I - Getting the Conductor 'Hand'"