ABSTRACT
Biographical accounts of conductors’ lives offer various views and interpretations of what makes for good conducting (see chapter 4). Research findings and literature in the field also offer clues.1 From these sources and frommy own research I developed three categories to serve as a start in moving toward that model conductor:
Philosophical principles Musical-technical skills Interpersonal skills
PHILOSOPHICAL PRINCIPLES Some questions: Why am I a conductor? In many ways this question can be asked of anyone in relation to his or her chosen profession or activity: Why am I a teacher? Why am I a builder, a sailor, or a politician? Why do I think I am able to stand in front of singers and lead them in singing activity? Is it just that I have a set of particular musical skills, or just have the gumption to do it? (I do know of people who put themselves forward as conductors, albeit in an amateur capacity, who have little skill in conducting or rehearsing. So why do they do it?) Moreover, do I have a belief in myself as a conductor? Do I possess an understanding of appropriate choral and vocal issues? Do I have sufficient knowledge of the music, its style, its context, and its expressive character? Am I able to make appropriate decisions concerning the choice of music for the choir and its rehearsal and performance? Do I know what I am aiming for? And do I know when I have achieved it?
