[Menvi-discuss] conducting

Thu Sep 8 14:44:14 EDT 2011

Hello Marda,
Wow a letter grade for a measure of 8th notes instead of quarter notes? Come 
on, it's Handle, You're supposed to have an element of randomness!
When you get the pieces you're to conduct, do you have to get the full score 
in Braille? Or are you able to hear the small little dynamic marks and note 
lengths from a recording? Because I'd think the whole score for Handle's 
Messiah would be humongous.

What school did you attend? It sounds like they were really good at making 
sure their students didn't get left behind.

Maybe you can answer this question I'm posed by many conductors:
"How are you able to follow the conductor when you can't see?"

I tell them that I memorize my music very well and after once or twice with 
the orchestra I'm able to anticipate my entrances as well as if I had a 
piano.

I've only sung large solos in musical theater with an orchestra, so I was 
not really told if I was an eighth note late or not. Do you have any 
suggestion of how I can prepare and prove to a conductor that I don't need 
to see the baton to be a lead?
Thank you,

Brandon Keith Biggs

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--------------------------------------------------
From: "Marda" <marda-pianist at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 10:54 AM
To: "This is for discussing music and braille literacy" 
<menvi-discuss at menvi.org>
Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] conducting

> Hi, guys.
>
> Julie, I also took conducting in both undergrad and grad school.  I paired 
> up with a friend in the class who would show me as the professor was 
> teaching.  We'd practice after class too.  I won't say it was easy.  You 
> have in your favor that while the basic motions have to be done correctly, 
> each conductor has his/her own little idiosyncrasies.  Still, you have to 
> start with the basics and know them well.  The way our conducting program 
> was set up, each student was assigned a tutor with whom we met once a week 
> for an hour.  Even the sighted musicians were expected to meet with this 
> tutor.  It helped immeasurably to have that extra reinforcement,.
>
> Sight reading is a problem so you pretty much have to memorize the music, 
> at least I did.  At the end of the year in grad school I had to conduct 
> Handel's Messiah with the school orchestra and chorus.  The teacher was 
> one of those who truly resented having a blind student in the department. 
> Thankfully, conducting was my major.  Anyway, when we did the Messiah and 
> each person in class conducted a section (of course, we had to know the 
> whole thing because we weren't told which part we'd have to conduct) it 
> was nerve-wracking to say the least.  It was done in a jury style so their 
> were adjudicators judging us as well.  I made one mistake, just one 
> measure, where I conducted eighth notes instead of quarter.  OOPS!  But 
> that teacher, head of the conducting department, lowered my grade by a 
> letter grade for that and it was the only B I got in grad school.  I 
> wasn't happy but I'm glad I learned thoroughly enough that I have been 
> able to conduct choirs and ensembles.  Initially, the movements may be 
> hard especially if you have spatial orientation issues.  You have to get 
> them in the right positions and they have to be proportional and precise. 
> But it can be done and it sounds like your teacher is open to options.  I 
> think you should be held to as high a standard as the rest of the 
> students.  In fact, you'll have to work harder and really know your 
> material so you can focus on listening to the chorus and orchestra, 
> bringing each section or soloist in at the correct time, doing precise 
> cutoffs and clear rhythms.  If possible, go into the room and have someone 
> show you where the musicians will be in relation to where you'll stand and 
> practice conducting as if they were there.  It's best to do this with 
> someone in the room with you to give you feedback.  Also, know where you 
> want to give dynamic indications and include them in your practice.
> NLS has a wonderful book that you can borrow that is a set of articles 
> written by blind conductors.  If you get their circular about available 
> conducting titles in various media you can borrow some of these and read 
> up ahead on it.
>
> Hope this helps.
> Marda
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Julie McGinnity" <kaybaycar at gmail.com>
> To: "This is for discussing music and braille literacy" 
> <menvi-discuss at menvi.org>
> Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 10:42 AM
> Subject: Re: [Menvi-discuss] conducting
>
>
>> Hi.
>>
>> Thank you for all of the ideas so far.  It's funny that you all keep
>> encouraging me to take the class and work with the instructor.  I
>> actually had convince my department chair that I could take the
>> conducting requirement just like everyone else with accomidations.
>>
>> I had an idea that it might be good for me to perhaps sit in on a
>> conducting class or two before I actually have to take it.  That way I
>> could tell the instructor exactly how he can help me.  I honestly
>> don't think he is opposed to teaching me, but I do think he needs a
>> lead from me.
>>
>> I didn't know that the dictionary contained a conducting diagram.
>> I'll look into that.  Are there extra signs and things that I will
>> need to learn?  How do you deal with conducting something that you are
>> sight reading?  I would think that would be impossible.  These are the
>> kinds of questions that I have been asked by my department chair.
>>
>> Sorry for all the questions.  I'm trying to gather a plan that I can
>> take to my advisor, the department chair, and the professor of the
>> class.
>>
>> On 9/8/11, Teresa Haifley <dthaifley at iowatelecom.net> wrote:
>>> Julie,
>>> I took conducting in college quite successfully.  The teacher explained
>>> verbally to everyone in the class what the motions should look like 
>>> anyway,
>>> then he worked with me by standing behind me and moving my arm in the 
>>> proper
>>> motions so I could get the feel for it.  Each of us had to take our 
>>> turns
>>> conducting the class.  He ended up using me as an example to the others
>>> because I was focused and giving all the entrances and other cues 
>>> correctly,
>>> knew the music well  and they weren't all able to do that.  Of course 
>>> there
>>> were a few who resented that but I had the teacher's respect and that of
>>> most of the class.  So, don't let anyone push you aside.  Take the bull 
>>> by
>>> the horns and tell the teacher how to teach you and if you need extra 
>>> help
>>> outside of class be sure to get it.  And yes, you do need to know how to
>>> conduct, whether or not you plan to use it in the future.  Learn all you 
>>> can
>>> now; you never know when you might need it later.  I never thought 30 
>>> years
>>> ago when I took conducting that I would ever go that route, but today I
>>> conduct a choir.
>>> Good luck,
>>> Teresa
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org
>>> [mailto:menvi-discuss-bounces at menvi.org] On Behalf Of Julie McGinnity
>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2011 11:42 PM
>>> To: This is for discussing music and braille literacy
>>> Subject: [Menvi-discuss] conducting
>>>
>>> Hi everyone.
>>>
>>> As part of my degree in vocal performance, I have to take at least one
>>> semester of conducting.  The professor is not sure how to teach me,
>>> and I'm not sure how I am going to learn.  I was thinking that being
>>> in the class would not be benificial to me because I will not be able
>>> to see the patterns and things that are shown to the class visually.
>>> I imagine that I would be behind.  My school is thinking of offering
>>> me some kind of independent study option.  Is this a good solution?
>>>
>>> This is only the half of it though because the professor of the
>>> conducting classes honestly has no idea how to teach me.  I would
>>> really like to learn.  I think conducting would improve my rhythm, and
>>> depending on what I choose to study in grad school, it might be
>>> useful.  I know there are blind people who have taking conducting;
>>> what have you done?  How have you learned?  Any suggestions would be
>>> great.
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Julie McG
>>>  Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
>>> Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
>>> Eyes for the Blind
>>>
>>> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
>>> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
>>> life."
>>> John 3:16
>>>
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>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Julie McG
>> Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
>> Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
>> Eyes for the Blind
>>
>> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
>> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
>> life."
>> John 3:16
>>
>> Thank you for subscribing to MENVI.  Should you wish to unsubscribe, 
>> change your delivery, or set any other options available to you, please 
>> view the list information page below.  Should you have any questions, 
>> please contact the owner of the list.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Menvi-discuss mailing list
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>
>
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