Conducting Beyond the Concert Hall

Avant-garde and 20th/21st century contemporary compositions require modern conductors to possess additional skills, including unique gestures and commands for the genre and different responsibilities due to the frequent use of live electronics and other elements. They must also have an understanding of avante-garde techniques, extended techniques, and their notation practices.

Module 7 (3 credits)

The 21st Century has seen huge shifts not only in how music functions in a range of new mediums but also how music is approached in relation to historically established forms. These developments have led to a need for conductors to possess additional skills in order to fully engage with technology-based and technology-influenced mediums.

What exactly will you learn:

  1. Determine appropriate gestures necessary to communicate effectively within a film music, game music or choral context.

  2. To develop an effective workflow that optimises for maximum efficiency to achieve the best result within a time-restricted studio environment.

  3. To identify any ensemble errors within the soundscape that combine live and recorded or non-traditional instruments/voice

  4. Work with visual mediums and understand the role and function of the music as it relates to the storytelling and effectively interpret and communicate that to the musicians in real-time.

Learning outcomes:

  • To develop flexibility across varying domains, such as Film Music, sometimes combining instrumental and choral cues where conductors are expected to understand optimising workflows in a studio environment and to achieve the best result possible within the time limitations imposed upon them.

  • To develop skills in directing small vocal ensembles for the purpose of creating prelays or overdubs.   

  • To develop skills in conducting Game Music where, the conductor must be able to communicate the fragmented musical information effectively to the orchestra who may not have any experience performing in this context. 

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