{"id":1790,"date":"2024-07-02T21:45:42","date_gmt":"2024-07-02T20:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.notesfromthepodium.co.uk\/?p=1790"},"modified":"2024-07-02T21:48:52","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T20:48:52","slug":"issue-29-learning-the-ropes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.notesfromthepodium.co.uk\/?p=1790","title":{"rendered":"Issue 29: Learning the Ropes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome. The theme of this quarter\u2019s varied issue is young musicians honing their craft and learning the musical ropes. It features an interview on Benjamin Britten\u2019s first orchestral work, an article by an academic on bowing, and a summary of recent research carried out by Notes from the Podium<\/em> into in the role of the conductor in higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April I was thrilled to have another chance to speak with conductor Thomas Jung<\/a>, who featured in the last\u00a0Notes\u00a0<\/em>issue discussing Tchaikovsky\u2019s\u00a0The Nutcracker<\/em>. He requested that this time we discuss a work very close to his heart \u2013 Britten\u2019s\u00a0Sinfonia da Requiem<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 a piece Britten dedicated to the memory of his parents (who both died in 1937). Thomas first conducted this piece for Birmingham Royal Ballet, with choreography by\u00a0Ji\u0159\u00ed Kyli\u00e1n\u00a0(a short extract can be seen here<\/a>).\u00a0Sinfonia da Requiem<\/em>\u00a0was Britten\u2019s first orchestral work, written for the 2,600th\u00a0anniversary of the Japanese Empire. It was subsequently rejected for its inappropriate theme and atmosphere, but the pacifist composer nonetheless produced an orchestral funeral mass that is a powerful anti-war statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Thomas is another one from across the pond: Dr. Thomas Taylor Dickey<\/a> from Oklahoma State University. Thomas has also contributed to\u00a0Notes from the Podium\u00a0<\/em>before with his article \u2018Progress, Not Perfection: Practical Ways of Integrating DEI into Student Orchestra Programs\u2019. This time his focus is on something rather different: \u2018A Pedagogy of Orchestral Bowings: What Conductors and Students can Learn from them\u2019 is another comprehensive, practical and well laid-out article complete with numerous musical examples. It includes sections on print and online resources, down bows, up bows, dynamics, hooked bows and how to involve students in the process of bowing preparation. This article is a must read for students wanting to familiarise themselves with the subject.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, in May\u00a0Notes from the Podium<\/em>\u00a0sent out a questionnaire to selected university music departments worldwide on conducting in higher education<\/a>. Conductors leading at this level provide fundamental training to the future generation of musicians, as well as gifting their students with some of the most precious memories of their university years. The skills required are numerous, and differ to those needed by conductors working in a purely professional environment. I was delighted with the detailed and insightful responses I\u00a0received from the sixteen conductors that were involved, and have found it fascinating to read about the variety of ways in which conductors work in an academic environment. The article includes a summary\/synopsis written by myself followed by the conductors\u2019 unedited responses so that readers can draw their own conclusions and inspiration from the conductors\u2019 experiences and insights. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huge thanks to Thomas, Thomas and all of the conductors that contributed to the questionnaire research. I hope you enjoy the read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Hannah Baxter (Editor)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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