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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,

conducting March of the Toys is sure to put on a fantastic performance.

The emotion is the point.you are communicating the intention of the

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
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of bounds, as well as maintain a working relationship with the students that is unlike the

teacher. It may be tempting to project a demeanor of authority and/or rigidity in an effort

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

responsibility and progression in class. The key to gaining students respect is to

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

personal problems (breaking down a rhythm or directing them to a counselor) is a useful

skill as well to help struggling students.

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
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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

of your ability before taking on the beliefs of others as your own.

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
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Performance Anxiety. Coping with Music Performance Anxiety, Counseling

Services, UW-Eau Claire. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, May 2001. Web.

07 Oct. 2016.

http://www.uwec.edu/Counsel/pubs/selfhelp/musicanxiety.htm

Callahan, Matthew P. Guide to Interacting with Students. Guide to Interacting with

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,

21 June 2016. Web. 30 Sept 2016.

<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

Fright. The Bulletproof Musician. Web. 31 Oct 2016.

http://www.bulletproofmusician.com/what-every-musician-ought-to-know-about-st

age-fright/

Theisen, John. Conducting Techniques. Personal Interview. 21 Sept. 2016.