Expressive Conducting: Movement and Performance Theory for Conductors applies the insight of movement and performance theory to the practice of conducting, offering a groundbreaking new approach to conducting. Where traditional conducting pedagogies often place emphasis on training parts of the body in isolation, Expressive Conducting teaches conductors to understand their gestures as part of an interconnected system that incorporates the whole body. Rather than emphasizing learning specific patterns and gestures, this book enables student and professional conductors to develop a conducting technique that is centered around expressing the themes of the music. Drawing parallels to the worlds of acting, this text treats the body as the conductor’s instrument. Coaching notes derived from years of experience as a performance movement specialist offer readers approachable methods for eliminating communication barriers—both conscious and subconscious—to encourage optimal performance, highlighting acting theory, movement exercises and the significance of weight distribution. Unlike other conducting approaches, this text understands that conducting resonates throughout the entire body and is not conveyed by the hands or baton alone. With a comprehensive consideration of the conductor’s body and movements, featuring over 50 original illustrations, Expressive Conducting advances strategies for improving one’s conducting skills in rehearsal and performance. Jerald Schwiebert has developed a practical language for expressive conducting. Together, Schwiebert and Barr present a text that is suitable for conducting students, instructors, and professionals alike.

The Elements of Expressive Conducting begins with a synthesis of various movement theories which allow beginning conducting students to understand how best to use their body as an expressive instrument. Strategies for developing musical expression beyond pedagogical execution are discussed in each chapter. The text further explores merging musical preparation with a healthy, tension-free approach to an individual's movement. Readers will also find strategies for developing the coordination between the ear and body; ways to transfer "every day" movements to the art of conducting; and suggestions for building to a professional level of success.FeaturesExercises which stimulate the imagination and inform the bodyVideo examples of these exercises on the publisher's websiteDrawings of imaginative ways to consider beat patternsMusical examples chosen to reinforce specific conducting fundamentalsPractical strategies drawn from the author's more than four decades of pedagogical experience

"The concepts and instructional techniques included prompt new and different considerations for what teachers and conductors of instrumental music must strive for"--P. 4 of cover.

Conducting and Rehearsing the Instrumental Music Ensemble is the most comprehensive guide on the rehearsalprocess for conducting instrumental music ensembles. Ideal for the advanced instrumental music conductor seeking to look beyond basic conducting technique, this work breaks the multidimensional activity of working with an ensemble, orchestra, or band into its constituent components. Advanced students of conducting will find within the full range of conducting activities: • Chapters on the infrastructure of the rehearsal, the rehearsal environment, 10 rehearsal essentials, score study, music imagery, inner singing, and rehearsal procedures (with an emphasis on an integrated approach to rehearsing) • The technical priorities of intonation and tuning, rhythm patterns, ensemble sonority (tone, balance, blend, color and texture), and articulation • The musical priorities of tempo and ensemble precision, phrasing and the musical line, style and interpretation, dynamics and musical expression • Emphasizing the expectations of 21st-century conductors, the challenges of conducting and rehearsing contemporary music, preparing conductor profiles and self-evaluations, and moving from the rehearsal process to concert performance Conducting and Rehearsing the Instrumental Music Ensemble is a great resource for teachers and students of conducting, as well as current conductors wishing to further hone their skills.