Speak Musically: How to Add Musicality to your Ensemble Before Even Playing a Note

I am a huge fan of and an active student of communication! How we choose to interact with the people we share this world with is so powerful, and learning new strategies to become better communicators truly fascinates me. Music is no different, being one of the purest yet most abstract forms of communication that exists. As conductors, we have yet another layer of non-verbal communication added to the mix, and at times what we hope to "say" is not always directly connected to the gestures we make. My hope is that with this one tweak to your daily conducting practices, you will increase your communication skills and hear the results!

Too many of us fall into a "default conducting stance" before beginning a piece of music. For a lot of us, that looks very similar to the drum major starting point, both hands held out wide at around shoulder height. Even with a baton, I see too many directors adopt this mirrored look. This is how many of us got our conducting start, and mirroring while conducting feels comfortable, especially for conductors with less podium experience. Unfortunately, this broad, strong starting stance is rarely appropriate for the music we are about to perform or the non-verbal communication we are hoping to convey.

My challenge to you and your continued conducting growth is to "speak" musically from the very beginning once on the podium. Say what you want to say right away and give your ensemble (and future concert attendees) a clear and well-communicated idea of what the music they are about to hear will sound like before any actual sound is made. YOU are the beginning of the music, and the emotion we portray says it all.

Here are my pre-music steps on the podium:

1. Open the score and step onto the podium. Messing with music, turning pages, or even looking for the correct score while on the podium gives a non-verbal impression of not being prepared. Get set then step up. You being on the podium should be an undeniable sign that it is time for business and music is about to be made, not a time to get organized.
2. Take a moment to read the opening lines of music and audiate in your head the ideal performance of this music. Do not look around or interact with anyone at this time. Any "fires" to put out should be handled off the podium. This moment is for you to get in the right headspace. Find your tempo, slow your breathing, hear the music, and feel the emotion of the opening of the piece.
3. Look up at the ensemble and move your arms into your starting position at the same time. This is yet another non-verbal cue to your ensemble and audience that you are ready and the music is imminent! This step is arguably the most important step in conveying your musical intentions. Your pre-determined starting baton/hand position, the speed/style you move your arms up from rest, and your facial expression should all be unified under the same goal: being a physical representation of the opening emotion of the piece you are about to perform.
4. Make direct eye contact with your ensemble. You were just looking at the score, you do not need to do it again now! The music is in your head, you know the tempo you want, and you are exuding your musical stylistic choice through body language. All the decisions have been made! Looking at your score again at this point will only disrupt your musical goals (and is ultimately a security blanket). Stay present in the moment and give your students the leadership they deserve. You've got this!
5. Breathe with your ensemble and start the music! I challenge you as a conductor to move away from the 4-count start to every piece. Your high school groups do not need that much time, and younger students can be taught to not need it as well. If you still deem it necessary, keep your prep minimalistic and within the musical style you have established up to this point. And always breathe with your players, regardless of prep preferences. 

Like with most things, this pre-music procedure takes time to get comfortable with, for both you and your ensembles. My advice is to practice it every day in rehearsal. The establishing of the routine will take more time up front, but as you and your students become familiar with the structure it will slowly integrate as "what we do" and not feel like time taken away from playing. My hope is that this helps create a more direct line from the music we hear in our head to the performance we share with the world. Be the music you want to hear! Sometimes to say what we want to say, we have to get out of our own way.

Thanks for reading! If you would ever like to deep-dive more into conducting or talk shop, my virtual door is always open at ajay@palenmusic.com. Speak well!