Conducting II
Dr.
William S. Carson
Director
of Bands and Instrumental Music Education
MU‑385 *
Coe College * Spring 2010
Monday,
Wednesday, Friday;
Office:
Marquis 203
Office
Hours: M 3:30 - 4:30, W 2:30 -
3:30 or by appointment
Office
Phone: 399-8520
E-Mail:
wcarson@coe.edu
Course
Description:
This intensive one‑credit
course is designed to continue the preparation
of the future music educator for his or her role as a conductor. The topic will be approached by studying the
literature and techniques of instrumental music, with some additional
work on
choral music. Baton and Score reading
skills will be emphasized.
Prerequisite: MU‑285 or
Permission of Instructor
Text:
Elizabeth
A.H.
Green, The Modern Conductor,
Supplementary
Materials:
Baton, pencil, ink pen,
three‑ring binder, computer access, manuscript
paper, colored pencils, major instrument.
One blank mini-videotape or digital storage media (exact format
will be
discussed in class) and access to playback equipment.
Reserve Materials:
Supplementary reading as
assigned.
Grading:
This is a very demanding
class, requiring a large amount of preparation outside of class, and
requiring
participation in eight conducting sessions outside of class time. There is a test, quiz, or reading or
listening assignment for almost every class meeting, in addition to the
preparation time required for the in‑class conducting.
The grading scale is high, and there is
little room for error. Please see
grading details outlined on separate sheet.
Meetings:
A major portion of the value
of this course will come from the in‑class work. Tests, quizzes, and
assignments, add to the importance of class attendance, particularly
because
students will only be allowed to make up one missed test or quiz, and
late
assignments will be penalized. In
addition to the class meetings listed in the catalog, members of this
class
will also be judged on their participation as conductors in sessions outside
of
class time. There will be additional meetings to conduct rehearsals,
and the
final required conducting session will be held at a band rehearsal
during exam
week. Students who complete the course
successfully may be given the option of conducting the band at
commencement.
Note:
This
course is taught primarily as a
workshop or laboratory class – the materials will be adjusted daily to
fit what
the instructor perceives as your strengths and weaknesses.
Grading
Details
The student will be graded
on both conducting performance and on factual knowledge.
REQUIRED WORK:
Points
Number
Total
Daily in class
performance
10
x
40
=
400
Required Outside
Conducting
25
x
8
=
200
Rehearsal Reviews
(non-Coe)*
25
x
4
=
100
Written tests
(vocab., transp.)
100
x
3
=
300
Graded Quizzes
50
x
3
=
150
Notebook of all
assignments, etc.*
200
=
200
Conducting Final
200
= 200
Major Project ‑
rough draft*
150
=
150
Major Project ‑
final draft*
300
=
300
TOTAL Required
Points
2000
EXTRA CREDIT WORK:
Rehearsal Reviews
10
x
4
=
40
Extra credit
attendance
10
x
3
=
30
Perfect Attendance
Bonus
30
=
30
Extra credit
conducting
25
x
2
=
50
TOTAL Points
Possible
2150
1950
‑ 2150 = A
1900 ‑ 1949 =
B
1850 ‑ 1899
= C
1800 ‑ 1849
= D
0 - 1799 =F
Plusses and minuses are at
the
discretion of the instructor.
* Conducting II
is a
Writing Emphasis course. Students who do
not earn at least 500 out of the 750 possible points for the Major
Project,
both rough and final draft, and the rehearsal reviews and writing
assignments
included in the notebook, will NOT be able earn writing emphasis for
the
course, and will thus not earn a grade higher than C-, no matter how
well they
perform in other aspects of the class, and despite any other extra
credit that
might be submitted.
Students who miss ONE test or in class assignment will be allowed to make up their work, but ONLY the FIRST time! After that any make up work must be done in the form of extra credit assignments. Assignments will lose 25% in value each day that they are late, including weekends and holidays.
First Order Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this
course, the student will have:
(1)
An
increased knowledge of the basic elements of conducting
(2)
An
appreciation for the many roles of the conductor
(3)
Improved
confidence as a conductor
(4)
An
increased awareness of different styles of music
(5)
A
more open attitude toward unfamiliar musical styles
(6)
Basic
knowledge of standard repertoire
(7)
Knowledge
of basic source materials for conductors
(8)
A
desire for continued growth as a conductor
(9)
An
awareness of the importance of preparation
(10)
Improved
personal musicianship
Second Order Objectives:
To demonstrate the above
competencies, the student will:
(1)
Demonstrate
knowledge of transposition and vocabulary facts
(2)
Answer
questions concerning stylistic differences
(3)
Compose
exercises for various instruments
(4)
Review
articles in trade and research journals
(5)
Listen
to and evaluate performances and recordings
(6)
Observe
and evaluate conductors, both visually and aurally
(7)
Survey
and evaluate reference materials
(8)
Demonstrate
appropriate use of baton
(9)
Demonstrate
application of basic beat patterns
(10)
Demonstrate
expressive gestures
(11) Demonstrate control of dynamic, tempo, articulation
Conducting II, Spring
2010
Class Schedule
(subject to change)
Month Day
Assignment
Jan.
13
Pre-Quiz
15
Green, 20-25
18
No class – Martin Luther King Day
20
RA1
22
Practice Quiz
25
Green, 142-173
27
Practice Quiz
29
Assignment 1,
part
1
Feb.
1
Quiz I
3
Green, 174-215
5
RA2
8
Green, 222-235
10
Practice Quiz
12
Green, 41 - 62
15
Assignment 1, part 2
17
Test I
19
Green,
63 - 77
22
Assignment
2
24
Practice
Quiz
26
Class
will not meet at regular time. Instead,
serve as band host and observe jazz directors.
Mar.
1
Star-Spangled
Banner
3
Green,
78 – 83, Assignment 3
5
Star-Spangled
Banner
8-12
No
class – spring break
15
RA3
17
Quiz
II
19
Green, 84 -95
22
Green, 119-138
24
No
class – Dr. Carson not available
26
Project Rough Draft due
29
Green, 43-49
31
Practice Quiz
Apr.
2
Green, 139-141
5
Assignment 4
7
Green, 71-95
9
Test II
12
Green, 217-221
14
Discuss Festivals and Contests
16
Observe Len Orcino
Special
Sessions – April 17 and 18 – assist with
Elementary, Junior, and Senior Honor Bands
17
Morning and afternoon - Opportunity to observe Elementary
Honor Band with guest conductors
18
Afternoon opportunity to observe High School and Middle
School Honor Bands with guest conductors
19
Repertoire for final exams
21
Quiz
23
Green, 1-7
26
RA5
28
Notebook, Final Project
April
30
11:00
– 1:00 p.m. Final
Written Exam
April
28 and May 5
Final Conducting Exam during band rehearsals (7:00 – 9:15 p.m.)
Written Assignments
The following writing assignments will be described in class before they are due. Assignments will be considered part of notebook score.
Assignment 1:
Part 1: without using an instrument for reference, write out the Star Spangled Banner in the traditional key.
Part 2: Write unison parts for instruments pitched in Eb (e.g., alto sax), Bb (trumpet, clarinet), F (horn), A (clarinet). For C instruments write parts in bass clef, treble clef, alto clef, and tenor clef.
Assignment 2:
Two-page Article - Best and Worst Leaders
Assignment 3:
Interpretation Comparison - Two recordings of Beeth #5, mvt. I
Assignment 4:
Internet Search - Find and describe at least 5 Internet sites related to conducting. Create a webpage with your descriptions and post on the internet. This assignment is to be turned by e-mailing the URL to wcarson@coe.edu
Reading Assignments
For each reading assignment, you are expected to prepare a short (minimum one page per reading assignment) synopsis/commentary on the material covered and its relevance to class and to the required text. Your opinions about the material and analysis of its presentation are most important.
RA1
Maurice Miles, Are
you beating Two or Four?, Borough
Brock McElheran, Conducting
Technique,
RA2
Frederik Prausnitz, Score
and Podium,
RA3
Conducting Resources
Prepare annotated bibliography of 5 or more conducting-related texts available in the library, in my office, or from another faculty member. Compare with each other and with Green.
RA4
Library Skills Exercise
The following articles are available in the library - if you can find them:
Donn L. Mills, "Conductor's Upper-Hand Technique."
_____, "A Player's Guide for Keeping Conductors in Line."
Project Instructions
The major written conducting project for the term will be the compilation of a detailed plan of action for an ensemble that you would plan to lead some time in the future. It must be a very detailed set of guidelines and an outlining of thought processes. Every detail on the Conducting Class Unit Outline which you will receive as a handout needs to be addressed.
Start today by deciding what kind of group you want to write about. Following are some examples of topics that should be addressed to get you thinking:
· Description of Group
· Purpose of Group
· Educational Goals
· Budget (must be submitted electronically and discussed in paper – see below)
· Recruiting/auditions/membership publicity
· Selection of repertoire
· Balancing of program (include timings of selections, so that halves of the concert are balanced)
· Resources that you will use: list at least 5 books, magazines, or internet sites that will help you prepare for working with this ensemble.
Each piece which will be included in the performances of the imaginary ensemble needs the following:
· program notes
· rationale for choosing
· discussion of the difficulties of the piece
· educational value of the piece
· rationale for its placement in the program
You will need to submit three portions of your paper electronically:
Of course this can not be as valuable as actually leading a group through a semester or season, but you will have thought through many of the important pitfalls and aspects at least once before you have to sink or swim. Plan to spend a lot of time on this assignment and start early. I recommend that you try to do at least one paragraph a day, rather than waiting until spring break and trying to come up with 40 pages at once. Make this an on-going project.
You also need to be reminded that, since this is a writing emphasis course, you will have the opportunity to submit a rough draft, revise it, and resubmit. You should be aware of several things about this process:
· Your rough draft should show me everything you plan to have in the final draft: the cover, all text, etc. Treat it like a final draft, just know that you will get a second chance.
· I will be very picky in my critique of the rough draft.
· The final draft needs to be carefully revised to fit all my suggestions - AND I expect you to continue your own research and come up with some new ideas in the mean time.
· I will be incredibly picky in my critique of the final draft. I recommend consulting the writing center and students who have taken the class in the past!
Good
Luck!
Some writing advice
(common problems)
1.
Don’t
use contractions
2.
Check
your spelling!
3.
Don’t
use “that” for people – use “who” instead
4.
Don’t
use “upbeat” to describe happy music. “Upbeat”
is the anacrusis, or the beat before
a downbeat (beat one)
5.
Spell
out numbers under 101
6.
Number
your pages
7.
Doublespace
8.
Have
someone else read your paper for clarity,
assumptions, sentence structure
Conducting Class Unit
Outline
I.
Description of the group(s), the program, and the school,
church or other institution. Please also
select and describe your audience: Some of the best papers have also selected a
fictional format – by-laws of a community ensemble, handbook for
director, handbook
for ensemble members. Others were
preparing a proposal to a superintendent, school board, prinicpal,
parent
organization, or potential donors. Be imaginative and creative. Choose your audience, and write for them.
A. Size of
ensemble(s)
B. Age
C. Ability
D. Instrumentation
or voice distribution
E. Recruiting –
how will this be accomplished? Include
sample letters to constituents.
F. Budget – how
will you come up with enough money? Include sample letters to funding
sources. Include a printout of your budget. Don’t forget to also submit budget
electronically.
G. Use a personal
data sheet—
1.
Name
2.
Address
& Phone
3.
Email
4.
Cell
Phone
5.
Parent’s
email
6.
Parent’s
cell
7.
Schedule
8.
Years
of musical training
and ensemble involvement
9.
Sizes
(if uniforms are to be
used)
10.
Do
you want to invite
parents to volunteer or donate?
H. When and where
does the group meet? How do scheduling,
time of day, and facilities affect the quality and planning of the
rehearsals?
II.
Picking Music
A. Difficulty –
technique, range, keys used, rhythmic complexity
B. Instrumentation
or voice distribution
C. Variety
D. Appealing to
Audience
E. Appealing to
Students
F. Musical and
Non-musical goals
G. Concert Theme or
season
H. Sources – mail,
phone, local stores
I. Prices
(budget)
J. Time frame for
delivery
III.
Audition procedures
A. What is your
purpose in holding auditions?
B. Where, when,
what to have them play or sing
C. How to judge
(does seniority matter?) (create an audition form)
D. How to
distribute parts, how to post results
E. Seating
Arrangement
F. Assign and
stuff folders (librarian)
G. Include sample
audition information handout for members
IV.
Rehearsal planning
A. First class
1. Discuss
plans, goals, and schedule, hand out materials
2. Tuning
and/or warmups
3. Music
reading session
4. How will
this rehearsal be organized?
5. How will
new members find their correct seats?
6.
How
else should the first rehearsal be different from the other rehearsals?
B. Time Available
1. Instrumental
assembly
2. Student
warmup
3. Individual
tuning
4. Group
warmup (scales)
5. Announcements
6. Group
tuning
7. Finally
actually get to the music!
8. Tuning
between numbers
9. Sectionals?
10. Interruptions
11. Don’t
forget national holidays, school vacations, assemblies, other classes’
field
trips, snow days, etc.
12. Try to end
rehearsal, especially before a break of several days, with something
that will
leave them with a good feeling about the rehearsal — something they
like,
something familiar, something they do well.
John Paynter said it best: “Be sure...that you end with a bang,
that the
last thing you say to them is ‘man, oh man, yippee, good night.’”[1]
13. Time at
the end of class to pack up instruments
C. Goals and
objectives for entire unit
D. Schedule of all
rehearsals, dress rehearsals, moving equipment, etc.
Go through the thought process of what will
be rehearsed when and why. Figure out
how many weeks you will have and what you should attempt to accomplish
in
each. Justify all decisions.
E. The pros and
cons of dress rehearsals
F. Disciplinary
tactics
G. Rules
H. Re-adjust music
choices after auditions, during the rehearsal period?
V.
Planning the performance
A. Designated time
(how did you decide?)
B. Set up,
decorations? Who does the work?
C. Lights
D. PA and mics
E. Recording and
photography
F. Refreshments/reception
G. Will you charge
admission? Why or why not?
H. Parking
Situation
I. Clean-up
VI.
Publicity
A. Posters—Design,
printing, distribution
B. School
announcements, church bulletin
C. Radio
D. Newspaper
E. Mailing list
F. Other
VII. Programs
(Include a Sample)
A. Score and
program distribution—This is an appropriate time to elaborate on some
of the
thought processes of choosing this music, planning the order of the
concert,
and elaborating on some of the specific difficult passages and
rehearsal
techniques to be used for these pieces. This is one of the most important parts of
this project.
B. Designing the program
– artwork, program notes
You must annotate each of the pieces that will be
included in the program – you may decide whether they will be
introduced
verbally or included in the printed program.
C. Distribution of
programs (ushers)
D. Thank yous/acknowledgements,
Upcoming events, concert etiquette
E. Printing
VIII. Dress
Code
IX.
Dress Rehearsal Plan
X.
Concert – Think through all the details – how will
conductor’s music get on stand, how will performers get on stage? Will there be a warmup rehearsal?
Most important of all, explain why!
XI.
Resources – List all of the resources (as a bibliography) used
in the preparation of this document. You
must use at least one book, on magazine article, and one website. A good way to get ideas is to find a handbook
of a similar ensemble on the web.
Another good source is to consult conductors of similar
ensembles.
XII. Include
a printout of your powerpoint. Don’t forget to also
submit powerpoint electronically.
XIII. Include
sample scores of the pieces you will perform.
XIV. When
all this is done, prepare a table of contents and put it at
the beginning (after title page). I also
recommend that you tab
sections. This is a portfolio-like
document, so it needs to be appropriately bound for submission.
[1] John P. Paynter, quoted in On the Path to Excellence, The Northshore Concert Band, Paynter, Buehlman and Beyond, Galesville, MD: 2003, p. 100.