158

The Observation and Recording of Non-Verbal Conducting Behaviours

As mentioned earlier in the chapter, the most important attribute of expressive

conductors, according to my survey of forty-two experienced Melbourne
secondary school conductors, is good communication. As verbal communication
is unavailable to conductors in performance, the use of non-verbal
communication by conductors wishing to enhance their expressive conducting is
paramount.

In my survey of university conducting teachers, they were asked to indicate how

they developed their conducting students’ non-verbal vocabulary (Table 16):
Acting 4 5%
Chekhov Exercises 1 1%
Class Forms Ensemble 2 2%
Conduct Same Piece in a Variety of Styles 4 5%
Conduct with Body Only 2 2%
Conducting Experience 9 10%
Create a Gestural Vocabulary 5 6%
Develop Interpretation 3 3%
Develop Natural Reactions 2 2%
Discussion 4 5%
Experimentation 1 1%
Face Conveys Musical Mood 12 14%
Green/Malko Exercises 1 1%
Imagery 2 2%
Imitation 4 5%
Improvisation 2 2%
Increase Score Knowledge 2 2%
Laban 2 2%
Mime 3 3%
Movement Sessions 2 2%
Observe Other Conductors 11 13%
Peer Critique 3 3%
Psychological Drill 2 2%
Repertoire Driven 3 3%
Self-Evaluation 2 2%
Self-Observation 14 16%
Silent Rehearsals 6 7%
Specific Non-verbal Exercises 5 6%

Table 16 Methods for Developing Conducting Students’ Non-Verbal

Vocabulary

The most important methods for developing conducting students’ non-verbal

vocabulary, as listed by respondents, were self-observation (16%), getting the
face to convey the musical mood (14%), and observation of other conductors
(13%).