Fundamentals RESOURCES

When I was young, I had to learn the fundamentals of basketball. You can have all the physical ability in the world, but you still have to know the fundamentals. Michael Jordan


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Evan Feldman: fundamentals of rehearsing music ensembles

Video Curriculum | 2017

A widely used MOOC (massive open online course) hosted by coursera.org on conducting and rehearsal technique. Eight beneficial videos from the first module are available for free, and the entirety of the highly regarded course is available upon enrollment. The free videos cover an introduction, basic setup, conducting without a baton, baton grip, basic patterns, active and passive beats, starting pieces, and ending pieces.

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Gerard schwarz: a conducting lesson

Video | 2014

A 24-minute video in which renowned American conductor Gerard Schwarz explains his thoughts and actions while conducting the opening of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. The video is carefully edited to highlight relevant excerpts in the score and overlaid with audio and video from a performance with the All-Star Orchestra.

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Leonard Slatkin: conducting school

Video Curriculum | 2018

A free YouTube playlist of nineteen instructional and often-humorous videos by esteemed American conductor Leonard Slatkin, in which he explains elements including the baton, patterns, use of the left hand, dynamic contrast, etc., discusses various practical considerations, and demonstrates how he might conduct a variety of excerpts from the symphonic repertoire.

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john zastoupil: become a master conductor

Video Curriculum | 2014

A for-purchase series of videos hosted at musicprofessor.com that explains and demonstrates exercises for a variety of conducting fundamentals, including hand independence, phrasing, dynamic contrast, and subdivision.


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