by Kenneth Woods | Nov 30, 2006 | A view from the podium, Favorite posts, Nuts and bolts
“Conductors question scores for a living. Actual conducting is something you just have to do to share the answers you’ve found to the questions you’ve asked.” Practical questions about music are important (and fun!) to answer. When a real music lover tells me he or...
by Kenneth Woods | Nov 29, 2006 | A view from the podium, Favorite posts, Nuts and bolts
One of my first “official” conducting teachers told us all that “conductors study scores for a living. Actual conducting is just something you get to do for fun as a reward for the studying.” It’s a point of view I took to heart and have often repeated to both...
by Kenneth Woods | Oct 31, 2006 | A view from the podium, Nuts and bolts
I thought I might wade in and try to slightly de-mystify the question of score marking by conductors. Orchestral players and audiences alike can often be quite overwhelmed by, and even suspicious of, the complex systems of red and blue, circles, highlights and so on...
by Kenneth Woods | Oct 24, 2006 | A view from the podium, Music and Media, Nuts and bolts
Sticking with the idea of “organic” music, here is a link to the website of the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra in London. I’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know their playing in concert and they are definitely on to something. Their tale is both inspiring and...
by Kenneth Woods | Oct 6, 2006 | A view from the podium, Nuts and bolts, Performing Life
I’ve been thinking this week about the whole question of the conductor’s bedside manner. It’s always been my belief that a conductor should choose his or her tone and approach and not let their way of working be too influenced by their work situation. I remember...
by Kenneth Woods | Sep 24, 2006 | A view from the podium, Nuts and bolts, Performing Life
When we think of rehearsals, we tend to think in terms of two main goals- improving our technical standards, and developing our shared vision of the music. There’s another less obvious process that can take place in rehearsals, which, when it happens, can be more...
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