The Conductor's Toolbox

What do coaches, master teachers, and educational psychologists have to teach us about conducting? As it turns out, quite a bit! In this concise yet insightful volume, Richard Sparks draws from years of experience in the professional choral world and from his time teaching at two leading universities to help choral conductors transform their craft and create truly artful experiences. He gains inspiration from legendary college basketball coach John Wooden and shares striking and refreshing parallels between coaching sports teams and conducting music ensembles. Sparks draws equally from research in the fields of teaching and the psychology of learning and their application to teaching music. Just as an artisan builds a set of skills and learns the tools of the trade, conductors too must build a box of tools to help them learn, understand, and interpret music, lead rehearsals, and conduct. Highlights include: assessing yourself and your choir; using modeling; developing good habits in yourself and your choir; learning and teaching new skills; rehearsing more efficiently; teaching fundamental elements of music; selecting repertoire that improves your choir’s skills; improving your planning and pacing of rehearsals. This book is for the young conductor starting out who wants to build a truly solid craft. It is also for the experienced conductor who wonders how to move to the next level, re-energize, and grow.