Discerning quality and appropriateness when selecting music.
What does artistic excellence look and sound like?
- Expectations
- Form, shape & design
- Orchestration & density
- Style
- Development
- Idiom
- Musical validity
- Appeal & interest to players, audience and us
- Being the adult in the room - training musical palates rather than pandering
Download the Determining Excellence Checklist
Blog post: Why can't the kids pick their own music? {LINK to blog}
Stephen Budiansky's Washington Post article: The kids play great, but that music...
How to develop your own discernment and taste
- Getting out of the rehearsal room
- Listening beyond your ensemble/genre
- Listening to great (and bad!) performances
- Listen outside classical music
Musical Inspiration for Conductors (Youtube playlist)
Appropriateness
- How to listen
- Where to listen
How to select music that is appropriate for your:
- Ensemble
- Occasion
- Audience
Download the Determining Appropriateness Checklist
Action Steps
- Select a work that is new to you and assess its artistic excellence using the checklist.
- Select an upcoming performance in your calendar. Assess the work from Step 1 for its appropriateness to that event using the checklist.
Share your action steps with us on Instagram! Take a photo or screen shot, tag us @conductingartistry and use hashtag #conductingartistryinaction
Keep on learning!
Check out our blog, resources and courses at ConductingArtistry.com
Follow us on Instagram
Join the community Facebook
Check out our videos YouTube
Ready for more? Keep your learning going with:
Online Courses, including Conducting Bootcamp
Books, including Planning Effective Rehearsals
Sign up to the mailing list for quality info like this, delivered straight to your inbox (about once a month)
Email us with your questions & feedback