| Chapter 1: | Conducting in Theory and Practice |
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Conductors working in educational settings do not simply produce performances. Rather, the conductor’s job is to rehearse in a way that allows him/her to pursue the most expressive performances while helping students know the entire piece as well as their parts and gain more insight as to how they function in an ensemble.51 This expression is conveyed by the conductor through rigorous preparation and the studied use of physical gestures, facial expressions, and body language. In his study of the conducting practice of David Schleicher, director of orchestras at the University of Illinois, Hubert Toney cites three fundamental principles in Schleicher’s approach: “1) using scholarly knowledge to increase understanding [of student and conductor]; 2) communicating musically through gestures and intensity; and 3) creating a collaborative music-making environment”.52 Frank Battisti suggests that in the educational setting, the process through which a satisfactory performance is achieved is as important as the performance itself.