Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2011 Learning and teaching conducting through musical and non-musical skills: an evaluation of orchestral conducting teaching methods Jose Mauricio Valle Brandao Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Brandao, Jose Mauricio Valle, "Learning and teaching conducting through musical and non-musical skills: an evaluation of orchestral conducting teaching methods" (2011). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 3954. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/3954 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. LEARNING AND TEACHING CONDUCTING THROUGH MUSICAL AND NON-MUSICAL SKILLS: AN EVALUATION OF ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTING TEACHING METHODS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in The School of Music by José Maurício Valle Brandão B.M., Universidade Federal da Bahia, 1994 M. M., Universidade Federal da Bahia, 1999 Ph. D., Universidade Federal da Bahia, 2009 August, 2011 To my wife, Blandina; to my friend, Vladimir; to my advisor, Bill Grimes – none of you let me give up. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to acknowledge and thank the Louisiana State University and the Huel Perkins Fellowship for giving me the opportunity to study conducting in the United States. Guidance provided by professors Julian Shew, Bill Grimes, Jan Herlinger, Kenneth Fulton, Alison McFarland, David Smith, Jeff Perry, Jane Cassidy, Eleanor Howes, Lin He, Sara Lynn Baird, Frank Weekes, and Lori Bade was invaluable. Lois Kuyper-Rushing and all LSU Library Staff were helpful when I needed a specific text to further my research. The LSU Orchestras always rose to the challenges I demanded as a conductor. My colleagues and fellows—members of the ―Clube da Esquina 1021‖ and ―The Board Meeting‖—Ronaldo, Maira, Renata, Andrew (Boo), Milica, Jovan, Santiago, Joe Patrick, Jorn and Selma, Ricardo, Marcelo, Amanda, Felicia provided encouragement and many late night discussions over coffee. To my dear friends, Maureen Hewitt; Pam and Craig Kaster and family; Anna Williams and family; Dennis Parker and family; Kelly Eaglin and Nancy Savoy; Lynea Hambrice (in memoriam); and the Zachary United Methodist Church I offer my sweet and sincere thanks for welcoming me and my wife, Blandina, to Louisiana. Your constant friendship made our time in the United States a pleasure. iii ―Not only is there an art in knowing a thing, but also a certain art in teaching it‖ Cicero, De Legibus Book ii, Chapter 19, Section 47 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2: A BRIEF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTING ..5 CHAPTER 3: PROCEDURES ......................................................................................................20 CHAPTER 4: MUSICAL VERSUS NON-MUSICAL SKILLS ..................................................24 CHAPTER 5: ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTING TEACHING RESOURCES .............................31 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................36 CATEGORIES ...................................................................................................................36 INCONSISTENT TERMINOLOGY ................................................................................36 MUSICAL VERSUS NON-MUSICAL SKILLS ..............................................................37 AN UNDEFINED TARGET AUDIENCE ........................................................................38 UNEVEN CHRONOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES ............................38 BASIC MUSICIANSHIP SKILLS ....................................................................................38 SCORE READING AND SCORE STUDY ......................................................................39 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND ..........................................................................39 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................................................41 APPENDIX A. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY - FULL DETAIL LIST .........................................43 B.ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY – SUMMARY DETAIL LIST .............................275 VITA ............................................................................................................................................290 v ABSTRACT The current state of conducting as an academic and professional pursuit shows a plethora of conventional traditions and techniques that are accepted without question, but a dearth of ideas and approaches that will develop the skills essential to producing an effective conductor. This profile is especially apparent in the field‘s literature. This monograph will compile a list of these titles and annotate each one, in order to determine the common threads that run between them. This information will be distilled into categories, identifying levels of approach and target audience. Evaluation of these data may lead to a discovery that many of them are derivative of the others rather than being products of original thinking. This research will support or reject the notion that the methods used for teaching orchestral conducting are complete and sufficient. vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION What exactly is conducting? Or, what exactly should conducting be? As stated in the Oxford Dictionary of Music, conducting is defined as ―the art or method of controlling a choir, a band, an orchestra, or an operatic performance by means of gestures, which involve the beating of time, ensuring correct entries, and the ‗shaping‘ of individual phrasing.‖1 As a matter of necessity, conducting was born as an audible metric pulse and evolved to a silent code, in order to avoid any distractions to the music. As we understand conducting today, it is non-verbal communication, approximately 150 years old, and intended to organize the performance of musical ensembles. The Grove Dictionary of Music adds more detail: Modern conducting combines at least three functions: 1) the conductor beats time with his or her hands or with a baton in performance; 2) the conductor makes interpretative decisions about musical works and implements these decisions in rehearsal and performance; 3) the conductor participates in the administration of the musical ensemble. The word conducting acquired its present meaning in the 19th century, as the practice developed in its modern form. Conducting is largely limited to the tradition of Western art music, although other traditions have adopted the practice.2 The qualities of ―effective‖ conducting, however, are quite elusive. Superb musical skills, leadership traits, and the mastery of specific techniques and gestures3 are all assumed, correctly so both by the literature and the professionals. These traits alone, however, may not be sufficient for such a broad, deep, and challenging profession. 1 According to: ―Conducting‖ In The Oxford Dictionary of Music, edited by Michael Kennedy. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t237/e2358 (accessed October 20, 2009). 2 John Spitzer, and others. ―Conducting‖ In Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/06266 (accessed October 21, 2009). 3 Gestural techniques; rehearsal techniques; performance techniques; conducting, accompanying and coaching techniques; error-detection techniques. 1 The investigation of effective conducting technique includes a discussion of whether to teach leadership skills within orchestral-conducting pedagogy. One successful way to teach leadership skills is through an established methodology, a well-developed body of practices, procedures, and rules used in a discipline, or ―a science of science.‖ It appears, however, that there is no established methodology to teach orchestral conducting. Current practices indicate two styles of teaching this craft: 1) an apprenticeship approach or 2) an individual-teaching practice derived from personal experiences. The master-apprentice approach is very common in teaching orchestral conducting. It is based on the relationship formed between a master conductor and his/her disciples, and is based on the transmission of knowledge between them. Most of this knowledge originates from the time-honored tradition of the repetition of techniques and concepts that are sometimes able to produce successful results. This tradition has not been validated yet remains