Conducting Aaron Copland "Promise of the Living"

[thomasdouglas]

Lots of natural ability. Think of judicious use of the left hand. It mirrors a little too much, but for drum major, you'll be okay.

[12mckinnie]

You are a good conductor but you should consider keeping your fingers together(especially your pinky) and whenever you bring your left hand down, try bringing it down by your side instead on your stomach. other than that, cool job.

[jocobo99]

gota work on crescendos and decrescendos

[patricksmith2]

in may....we have a band director and our drill writer who is the band director at the middle school and she was in drum corps and she was drum major in her collage and high school so she is like the one who has a lot of opinion....but i have no clue what they might say...and i could use all the help i can get..

[Mookyakarandy]

when are your drum major tryouts going to be? and also, anymore help? what are some tips that your band director have mentioned to you?

[Mookyakarandy]

Hi, I am s soon to be drum major an what I notice about you is that when you rest your left arm, put it down by your side, also, crescendos' should be dynamic as well as sticotoes. Make it definite an you will be fine. Good Luck!

[patricksmith2]

thanks=) will do!!

[hhender86]

Couldn't fit this on the last one:

Differentiate triple meters from other meters: use a downbeat that is left of center. My teacher showed me this, and it is so helpful. In other words, you create a triangle, but it is not a right triangle because the downbeat ictus is left of center. An ensemble member immediately knows that they are now in triple meter when you do this, so it's very useful.

[patricksmith2]

thanks:)

[hhender86]

Although I don't do drum major-type conducting, I think these will be relevant:

Your ending beat is almost identical to your downbeat. Work on an upbeat that comes from the side, inward AND upward; then your downbeat that goes straight down will be differentiated and clearer.

Your baton points left when it should point forward as an extension of your arm.

Practice preps! They are most important.

Left hand to your side when not in use(not on belly).

[ler1692]

you have a very clear beat..but try to make the expression of the music show in your conducting. you do look a little like a drum major here.

[Padfoot85]

RELAX

This is an orchestra piece stop treating it like Marching Band. Those really stiff arms would kill any normal conductor. I understand if you are trying to practice for MB, but if your not than seriously cut the stiff body. This is a beautiful wondrous piece of music. Treat it so. Enjoy it. Don't force the band just let the song come to you.

[lx3g01]

you did pretty well with all the meter changes, when we did this for my band last year our version changed meter like twenty eight times in the fortyish measure song lol.

-you still swooped around for the cut-off ;)

-with a song that has this much emotion, you can't not use facial expressions, it's a sin

stop sinning :P

-try breathing in when the band should and exhaling right when you give the cue (especially at the end!)... it's a lot more effective.