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374 Video Reflection
374 Video Reflection
374 Video Reflection
As I rewatched my conducting videos over the past semester I was struck by how much I
improved in terms of technique and interpretation. At the beginning of the semester I had a lot of
issues with the turning of the wrist, and the positioning of my hands, with the arms too close to
my side and my left and right hands overlapping in their gestures. This was not an immediate
change or a linear improvement, as there were several videos that were worse than the previous
week. The positioning of my hands got progressively better from February through March, but
the real shift in my wrist happened a few weeks after spring break. This is something that I will
need to stay vigilant about going forward, but the clarity of my gestures was greatly improved by
my technical improvements.
As the semester went along, I found myself thinking more seriously about how I should
convey certain things, rather than just what to convey. This led to a more defined interpretation
that I was showing. While this may be because I was in my room rather than in front of an
The biggest shift I saw in my conducting is how I started to embody the music more and
more as the semester went along. There were hints of it as early as February (The Lord of the
Rings videos), but I rarely committed to it. The times when I let go of my thoughts and focus
solely on the music are the times when my conducting is effective. This is why the post-spring
break videos were so helpful to me. I was forced to sing through the entire piece, making it
difficult to think about anything else. I think my second recording of Second Suite was the best
good tempo consistently. Early in the year I would speed up regularly as I was shortchanging
beat 3, especially when I was unfocused or nervous. I’ve noticed similar tendencies in my
trumpet playing as well. I also want to improve my rehearsal technique. In-class situations aren’t
necessarily realistic, but I thought I often went too quickly to get much done. I think slowing
down the speed with which I talk and framing my thoughts better will help, as will more podium
time. The final thing I want to improve is being confident with my interpretation and execution
the first time I conduct something. I respond well to feedback, but I want to get to the point
where I can conduct something really well the first time. In order to do this I need to increase the
time I spend score-studying, listening and practicing. While that isn’t always possible with the
schedule I have as a student, it is something that I want to put more time into going forward.
While videos are not a substitute for a real ensemble, the process was really beneficial for
me as it forced me to listen and sing through the important parts more than I would have in a
normal situation. I also did not have the added stress of other classes or ensembles to worry
about, allowing me to dedicate a large chunk of time to prepare, rather than ten to fifteen minutes
a day for several days. I think that videoing myself practicing would be a good way to improve
going forwards.