eckyboy said:
On the flip side of the coin I personally think a band is only as good as their conductor and often that is what holds them back. :roll:
You have to remember it's the effort that the players put in for free and not the well paid conductor(dont know what the going rate is or if some are free but its the marches etc that pay for them)
eg;£200 for a 3 hour gala(enjoyable)-18-24 players
£40 for 1 and 1/2 hours conductors fees(guessing at the rate or section)
The band does 2 per month just to pay the conducror--(works out at £220 for an 8 hour shift)
good rate of pay if you can get it-£1000 per week pro rata so I dont think I'm beimg nasty when saying conductors should de accountable for results(please inform me because my rates are maybe not correct)
Im not meaning MD's rates but ordinary bands
Alec, the MU say the current rate is £150 per hour for conductors :wink: Although I don't think bands could afford that!
A band has to be sensible enough to choose a conductor. If he is crap and cannot conduct to save himself then this reflects poorly on the band and that they think makes and is a good conductor. Remember the band hired him in the first place, so the band should know in advance what quality thier getting.
A superb conductor can TEACH players to be better performers and overall musicians. Note the word teach. That is the word that fixes problems, thankfully us who are trained (if only a little) have had this word hammered down our throats :wink:
A limitiation in the players ability does not mean that he/she will be a less than adequate player, it just means the conductor has to use his skill to get the best out of the player.
Conductors deserve every penny they earn, it may look like stick wagging (mind u for some, that's all it is!) but it's a very unqiue skill to do properly. Aside from the fact of baton technique which I think is important (although not at the forefront of modern-day conducting) but u need a good level of communication, the ability to keep ur cool, having to repeat things time and time again, interpreting the music (which is the hardest of all!!!)
Anybody who belives the conductor is only as good as the band infront him/her, needs to rethink the role of a conductor. And that is a definate fact.
Of course u do get bad conductors, but it is the BANDS job to find a good conductor from the outset, don't go getting a conductor and if it doesn't work for the band and then blame the conductor, chance are he's a fab conductor, maybe he is crap - but not everyone can conduct.
Anyhow, lets just enjoy music without all this competition and single-mindedness about being the best band, it really does ma head in when ppl just want to be the best all the time...........................There is simply no room for that attitude in my books.
:lol: