What if I told you that you can travel to a different country, learn from the masters on conducting technique, and rehearse world class choral ensembles? You can do this right now, even if you are a college student or are in your first years of teaching. Sometimes you can even do this at little or no cost to you. Traveling the world while becoming a better conductor is possible by participating in choral conducting symposiums and workshops. I grew immensely as a conductor and musician by participating in a conducting symposium and masterclass.
You will first need to have video footage of you conducting a choral ensemble in order to apply for most symposiums and workshops. Start by purchasing a tripod with a phone mount. Video record your rehearsals and concerts with the camera facing from the choir’s perspective. You can use your phone’s video camera feature if you do not own a digital video camera. The act of video recording you conducting and then watching the footage will in and of itself improve your conducting techniques. Use a combination of rehearsal and performance material for a well-rounded video submission. If you are a student or do not have your own choir, there are still some ways to create a conducting video. Some options include: asking your friends to help you by singing as a small group, ask the director of a local choir to rehearse their choir for a few minutes, or become a student conductor for your college choir. Choose a local symposium, workshop, or state music convention as your first conducting experience before an international venue. This will allow you to gain valuable experience and additional video footage to use when applying for other conducting workshops that are farther away. Many colleges and universities hold conducting masterclasses and workshops over the summer. After taking part in a local conducting masterclass, you now have the experience for your resume and great video footage for the international conducting workshops. There are many great conducting workshops in Canada with varying degrees of difficulty to get into. I recommend the Halifax Choral Conducting Institute and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir Choral Conductors' Symposium. There are also many great opportunities throughout Europe. A web search will reveal lists of international choral conducting symposiums and workshops. These tend to be more expensive, however there are ways to cut the cost down to next to nothing. Most colleges, universities, and high schools offer funding for travel for individuals to participate as presenters or performers at conventions. Look at your music department’s website or talk to the secretaries of your school for travel reimbursement forms. You can also use crowd funding sites such as GoFundMe.com for additional funding. Participating in conducting workshops and symposiums will give you valuable musical experiences while traveling the world all at little to no cost for you.
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AuthorZach Thompson |