Advice for Conductors
Christopher Seaman and Elim Chan share their experiences and top tips for budding conductors
Christopher Seaman ConductorHarrisonParrott Foundation
Christopher Seaman: Top Tips
Don’t stop
When you start work on a piece with an orchestra, play it through at the beginning of the rehearsal. Don’t play one bar and then stop and lecture the orchestra – that’s a bad idea. Every conductor has a different physical handwriting and the orchestra has to get used to reading you. There may be the odd mistake, but professional players will usually get it right the second time if they haven’t the first.
Christopher Seaman ConductorHarrisonParrott Foundation
Christopher Seaman: another tip!
Respect the musicians
Orchestral players know a great deal more than most conductors realise they do. Many of them will know the piece or have played it many more times than the conductor has conducted it. You’re working with a bunch of experts. Sometimes you can give them a brief reason why you’re asking them to do something, but generally, they don’t need to know what Beethoven had for breakfast – they just want to know whether you want something long or short.
Elim Chan conductorHarrisonParrott Foundation
Elim Chan
Openness
I always come in with respect and ask with openness. It’s a collaboration and I can’t force my vision of a piece on them, but it can be done if we’re all open. Sometimes an orchestra plays in a way that I haven’t imagined and if I like it, I choose it. When you’re honest and you show yourself, the players will come with you. I always remember that the players are just people making music, like me.
This is the invisible part of the job that makes a massive difference. Why do musicians make an extra effort for some conductors? What can you say to inspire them? How do you pace the energy? It’s all about the psychology between the two parties, as well as the audience – the third element in the equation.
