International Saito Conducting Workshop                         Wayne Toews


The workshop will focus on concepts of conducting motion, expressing musical ideas and musicianship through baton technique, aural preparation, musical imagination, and showing musical elements and styles through gesture.

Click here to download the Course goals PDF


Course outline - elements

the field of beat
the constituent elements of a conducting gesture
     location, before and after point motions, acceleration and deceleration
baton grip
posture at the podium
preparatory position
preparatory motion
into-point motion - Shakui
3 - beat pattern
releases
phrasing and use of intermediate preparatory motion
stylistic considerations
imagining performers
showing dynamics
shifting accents
types A and B subdivision
into-point motion - Heikin Undo - conducting along with the ensemble
conducting fermatas
2 - beat pattern
into-point motion - Tataki
simple and compound subdivisions
from-point motion - Sen-Nyu
4 - beat pattern
tempo/beat size relationship
5 and 7 beat patterns
communicating with the performers
     rehearsal techniques
     communication styles
     cautions
score preparation
     gestural considerations
from-point motions - Hanneage
conducting in 6/8 compound duple and simple sextuple time
conducting in one shifting metres
connecting into-point and from-point gestures
into-point motion - wrist Tataki
from-point motion - Shunkan Undo
stretching motion
conducting asymmetrical metres
use of the left hand
cues
eye contact
conducting multiple metres
roles as conductor

Page revised June 11, 2017