Conducting

[brahmsian]

Has anyone ever conducted an orchestra before? I've become inspired and may take some conducting classes. How does one go about getting a gig with an orchestra as a conducter?

[luiszt]

Hello!

Conducting is a very serious profesion. There's a lot of work, you have to know everything. Sometimes, people think that conducting is an "sport"... to know how to move the body. But you have to be a big musician. When you know more than all the musics you orchesta have. you can conducting them. now you take a dangerous way.

I hope you the best! Greetings!

[dinosaurtales]

I have never taken conducting.  Frankly, in my case it would be a total disaster.  I have played inseveral conducted groups, and can say that it takes more than taking some classes to be able to do it at even a meager level.  I don't know the regime, but I would guess considerable practice with a metronome, memorizing scores, deciding how certain passages and transitions will be conducted to make it clear to the group, etc etc.  This is a major skill, no doubt!  that said, I have a mile fasciniation with it, so keep us all posted on how the classes go, adn what they make you do! 

[abell88]

I studied choral conducting and conducted a choir for about 12 years...not quite the same, but some overlapping skills. In the course, we had to learn much more complex cueing than I ever actually needed. Our course focused a lot on movement/physical technique rather than on gaining a musical conception of a piece (this was touched on, but not the main focus). I love conducting, but I know I'd be a better conductor if I had better listening skills.