Klarinet Archive - Posting 000486.txt from 2005/03

From: "Patricia A. Smith" <arlyss1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] OT: conducting without a baton;
Date: Sun, 20 Mar 2005 04:25:35 -0500

David McClune wrote:

>There is a movement in the teaching of conducting teaching to use the body movement ideas and techniques of dance teacher Rudolf Laban. I won the innovative teaching award at the university last year by using Laban techniques throughout the semester of instrumental conducting. The musicality of the student's conducting gestures was vastly better than any semester the past 20 years.
>
>I believe that the foundation of conducing is an expressive right hand
>and baton. The left had can add considerable musicality through a wide
>variety of gestures, used to cue, change dynamics, articulations, shape
>phrases, cut offs, etc. The left hand, right hand/baton, body language
>and the often forgotten expressive face work as a team to convey our
>musical intentions to the ensemble. Do not tell the band..show them.
>
>
>
I'm interested in knowing more about how you integrate the teachings of
Laban into your conducting teachings. I would be amiss in saying that
conducting is my forte, to be honest, however. I am more interested in
how dance, and dance movement can be integrated into the teaching of
general music in schools, which is veering even further off topic. I am
sure the concert will be/was fantastic!

With all the fabulous responses, it is obvious that there are plenty of
times one should use a baton. And with brand new learners, they HAVE to
see a beat pattern, so there's no debate there. I've never been a
"finger pointer" - normally, I keep ALL my fingers together, if I don't
use the baton, and as I wrote earlier, I'm not an "arm flapper" type.
Perhaps a little more is in order: In military bands, one always HAS to
use a baton. No ifs, ands or buts. It is required. So, I do use it,
and to good effect, for the most part. I simply find that, etiehr way,
I'm not comfortable.

I don't care much for a lot of excess movement; I'm not comfortable
with it -which is also true for conducting for me - I never liked doing
it, and have NEVER felt comfortable with it. The sense of feeling as
though I'm a fish riding a bicycle is never more than it is, when I'm in
front of a band, rather than sitting IN IT!

Patricia Smith

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