The majority of my visit this week was spent observing, but about half way through rehearsal, Mr. Armstead announced to the choir that he had a surprise for me and Maura. No warning or preparation time, he had each of us conduct for the choir.
After conducting the first verse, he gave each of us some practical tips on how conducting is different for middle schoolers versus college musicians. We each conducted a portion of one of the pieces the students have prepared and memorized for festival. He suggested that things like carry overs need to be more aggressive for the middle schoolers to pick up on them. Sometimes the pulse in the gesture should be done away with entirely to show musicality. I really appreciated the opportunity and the feedback. However, I hope I get more opportunities to teach. I was a little sad that I wasn't allowed to work with the choir at all. I think I need more experience with teaching and classroom management than conducting. Conducting I can practice on my own.
All that said, it was really cool to get to stand in front of a large group and have them really sing!
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