ABSTRACT 
 
Title of Dissertation:   THE CONDUCTOR AND THE ENSEMBLE 
 - FROM A PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT 
 Pi-Hua Chuang, Doctor of Musical Arts, 2005 
 
Dissertation directed by: Dr. Edward Maclary 
 Department of Music 
 
In my experience as a beginning conductor, I encountered some 
difficulties with self- emotional control and conflict with the ensemble 
members. When I was inexperienced, it was easy for me to be nervous and 
tense. Sometimes I lost the ability to control my temper and facial expression 
and couldn?t communicate with the ensemble well enough. I was aware that the 
interaction between the conductor and the ensemble is a key element of 
efficient rehearsal and for successful music making. The conductor, as the one 
who stands in front of people, can affect the emotional involvement of the 
ensemble through his attitude and personality. That is why there exists a 
common perception regarding the power of the conductor. Because music has 
such an intimate relation with emotions, the emotional involvement is very 
important for music making. Music can display the human being?s affection 
unreservedly and also arouse emotionality directly. 
1
Thus, if the conductor 
wants the ensemble members to be able to play the interpretation of the 
composer?s intent, he needs to demonstrate it either through his own singing 
voice, description, or his conducting technique. If he is able to produce the 
 
1
James Mursell, The Psychology of Music (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1970), 29. 
correct emotional response from the ensemble, then they can perform with the 
?right? feeling for each particular piece.   
This dissertation discusses the practical psychological methods in rehearsal, 
and how the conductor can earn the respect and trust of the ensemble in order to bring 
out the maximum influence upon his ensemble, assuming he has excellent musicality 
and musicianship. If the conductor knows what is the quickest and best way to inspire 
his ensemble and really tries to create a ?psychological bridge? to his ensemble, it 
will be a great help for efficient rehearsal.  
How do the ensemble members think? In Chinese proverb, ?if you want 
someone follow you willingly, you need to know what is his favorite and dislike, then 
you can earn someone?s heart.? In order to investigate how ensemble members 
perceived their conductors and related to them, I conducted a survey of 153 students 
participating in performing ensembles at the University of Maryland between March 
28
th
 and April 1
st
, 2005. I created this survey by drawing questions from my research 
on this topic and refining them with input with from my adviser. The appendix A of 
the paper includes the results of the survey.   
 
THE CONDUCTOR AND THE ENSEMBLE 
? FROM A PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT 
 
By 
 
Pi-Hua Chuang 
 
Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the 
University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment 
Of the requirements for the degree of 
Doctor of Musical Arts 
2005 
 
Advisory Committee: 
 
Professor Peter Beicken 
Associate Professor Chris Gekker 
Associate Professor Edward Maclary, Chair 
Lecturer Martha Lee Randall 
Assistant Professor Philip E. Silvey 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
Chapter ?
? : Psychological perspectives of the Conductor and the Ensemble 
 Music and Psychology:  
Music and soul ??????...???????????????? 1 
The conductor, music and psychology ???????????...??2 
 The importance of emotions ??????.???????...?...??3      
 Rehearsal and Psychology:   
Between the conductor and the ensemble ?????????...???6 
Communication through the inner power ????.????......???7 
The personality of a conductor   ?????...??????????10 
Chapter ?
 : The three roles of a conductor and their practical purposes  
 As a leader:  
Ability to organize ??..??????????????????..12       
Ability to manage ???...????????...????????...14 
Charisma of the conductor ???..??????????????..16 
The speaking manner ..???????????????????..19 
Conductor?s demeanor ?..??????????????????22 
Knowing the psychological conditions of his musicians ??????..24 
 As a teacher:   
Speaking skills ????..?????????????????....26 
Classroom dynamics and classroom climate ?..????????.?.28 
Differences among some types of choral ensembles  ?????...??30 
 As a colleague  ?????...??????????????..????34 
 
Chapter ???? : The inner control of a conductor 
 Before the rehearsal:  
The conductor?s mental ?warm ups?  ?????????????...38 
Selections of repertoire ???????????????????.39 
Rehearsal plan:  long term and short term ???..????????..40 
 During the rehearsal 
Teaching sequence and goals  ????.??????????.??.41 
Attracting the musicians? attention ????..?????????.?42 
Closing the rehearsal  ?????...????????????????.44 
After the rehearsal ?????...???????????????..44 
In the performance ??????...????????...?????..45 
 Practical use: 
 Correcting tempo, tone color, and pitch through the use of psychology???48 
 Rehearsal planning and progress??...??????????????.?52  
 
Conclusion?????????????????????????...???56 
 
Appendix A: 
Questionnaire for the ensemble and the results ????????????.??.57 
 
Appendix B: 
Music example A: Magnificat by Arvo P?rt ?????????????..63 
Music example B: Work Song by Hsin-Jung Tsai ???????????68 
Music example C: Lobet den Herrn by J. S. Bach ???????????.70 
Music example D: Os justi by Anton Bruckner ????????????.74 
Music example E: Libera Me from Requiem by Mauric Durufl? ?????.81 
 
Bibliography ???????...??????????????????...?.93 
 
1
Chapter One: 
Psychological perspectives of the Conductor and the Ensemble 
 
Music and Psychology 
Music and Soul 
Music Book, the Confucian scripture, states: ?Sound comes from the heart; the 
human soul is touched by sensibility,? and ?music is the soul of the human heart. It is 
born from emotions, and then expressed through the sound. The sound forms melody, 
so that?s what music is called.?
2
It means that the origin of music is human 
sensibility, which is affected by externality.  People who are moved and touched 
show their feeling via music, and it is the reason that music has a close relationship to 
human emotional activity. Therefore people hum a delightful song while feeling 
happy and a doleful melody while being sad.  It is the same in performing; a musician 
tends to imagine mournful emotion before performing a doleful piece in order to 
naturally and sincerely convey the music to the audience. Wagner says, ?Poor pen-
and- paper music, without a shadow of soul or sense?.
3
C.P.E. Bach expresses the 
same idea, ?Play from the soul, not like a trained bird!?
4
Music is meaningful in our lives, because it can sincerely express our inner 
emotions and sentiments. Without true emotions, music loses its affecting and 
charming qualities. Great music comes from an exalted human soul; therefore, the 
Confucian Music Book especially emphasizes that the musicians must have good and 
 
2
http://www.harvard-yenching.net/ruxue/zhuzuo/Rites/li19yji.html
3
David Blum, Casals And The Art Of Interpretation. (California: University of California Press, 1977, 
p. 17. 
 
4
David Blum, Casals And The Art Of Interpretation. (California: University of California Press, 1977, 
p. 18. 
 
2
noble character as well as sublime spirit to make the music not only touching but also 
educational to people.
 5
 
Nowadays, people may not emphasize morality in musicians, but making 
music from the ?heart? is the key point whether you can move your listener or not. As 
Pablo Casals stated,  
?You will see where to make the vibrato, the crescendo, the diminuendo of 
the notes- all those things you have to present, but present more in your 
feelings. Not present only here?- he said, as he tapped on his head, 
?because it is not profound enough; but here?- and he drew his hand to his 
heart.
6
The Conductor, Music and Psychology 
It is essential for the conductor to possess an acute consciousness, because he 
has to collaborate with live human beings.  If he is not able to establish a 
psychological bridge to the members collaborating with him, attempts to make music 
will be in vain no matter how good his musicality.  The conductor must sense 
whether or not a certain passage will make performers or singers uncomfortable and 
must learn how to help them to conquer the difficulties.  For example, if an oboist is 
too shy to perfectly perform a solo passage, the conductor may try to encourage him 
with a gentle smile or eye contact, which could help him to establish stronger faith 
and to perform his solo part very well.  Also, the conductor has to be a ?teacher? in a 
way, meaning that it is a prerequisite for him to have stronger musicality and 
perceptual awareness.  This sort of ability is essential for the conductor, so that he is 
 
5
Hermann Scherchen, ?On Conducting,? The Conductor?s Art, ed., Carl Bamberger (New York: 
McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 223. 
 
6
David Blum, Casals and the art of interpretation (California: University of California Press, 1977), 
14. 
 
3
able to knit together the musical tapestry of interpretation, point out mistakes, and 
bring music to people in refinement and precision.
 7
 
The Importance of Emotions 
In order to know his ensemble well, the conductor must perfectly understand 
?emotion.? Emotion dominates human inner changes -- not only those of the 
conductor himself, but also those of the ensemble members.  
?Emotion? it is not only an internal change but also a response to 
external conditions. The internal bodily states in fear and anger may not be 
so different, but their external conditions differ sharply? So we may 
conclude that emotions differentiate themselves in terms of the objective 
conditions which arouse them.?
8
Therefore, as mentioned above, emotion is deeply affected by external 
conditions.  Ulf Dimberg, a Swedish researcher at the University of Uppsala, found 
that  
?when people view a smiling or angry face, their own faces show evidence 
of the same mood through slight changes in the facial muscles. The 
changes are evident through electronic sensors but are typically not visible 
to the naked eye?.
9
Since emotions differentiate themselves by means of the external conditions 
which arouse them, they could be an aid or an obstacle to the conductor.  If he 
employs them well, ?emotions? will become a ?secret weapon? in terms of changing 
performing manner, mood, or timbre.  It is particularly essential for a choral 
conductor to notice the relation of voices and emotions. Compared to instrumental 
performing, internal changes much more directly and completely affect singing.  
Through singing we can directly and immediately receive or feel the music.  Some 
 
7
James Mursell, The Psychology of Music (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1970), 326. 
 
8
James Mursell, The Psychology of Music (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1970), 31. 
 
9
Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence (USA: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 
1995), 115. 
 
4
scholars even conclude: ?the vocal mechanism is the entire psychophysical 
personality?.
10
 Therefore:  
?the good vocal teacher will not be primarily concerned with developing 
skill in the use of certain muscle sets, but rather in helping his pupil to 
acquire certain ways of hearing and imaging sound, certain types of 
emotional response and control, certain modes of kinaesthesis, and certain 
imagining and intellectual insights.? 
11
 
?Higher mental processes are important in the control of the voice.?
12
 Other 
than imagination, the main lesson for singers is to ?feel? and to know whether or not 
the ?vocal machinery? is in the correct position.  Moreover, because emotions 
directly affect the body?s natural movements, they definitely affect voices.  When 
people are in a good mood, for instance, their muscles are relaxed; however, ?during 
unpleasant emotion the thoracico-lumbar division of the ?non-voluntary? nervous 
system becomes controlling, and just the opposite kind of bodily processes are set 
up?.
 13
 Therefore, emotions significantly affect body movements and singing skills, 
in a similar manner to the ?atmosphere? which may quickly change the timbre. Once 
the emotions being created by the conductor or players themselves are changed, the 
effect will be reflected in music itself to a significant degree. It can be said that our 
mind controls the music!  
Different ways of thinking and emotional control are the reasons why people 
are so different from each other, and also determine different personalities.  As we 
know, the personality plays an important role in how musicians perform and affects 
musical interpretation deeply. When I was studying at the Taipei National University 
of Arts in Taiwan, my piano professor, Sung-Jen Hsu (who is also a conductor and 
 
10
 James Mursell, The Psychology of Music (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1970), 224. 
 
11
 James Mursell, The Psychology of Music (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1970), 224. 
 
12
 James Mursell, The Psychology of Music (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1970), 228. 
 
13
 James Mursell, The Psychology of Music (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1970), 229. 
5
philosopher), smiled and said after I played a piece for him, ?to know a person, you 
just need to listen to his playing.?  I was a sophomore then, so I did not really 
understand what he meant.  After growing up and having more experience, I have to 
admit that he was absolutely right.  Suppose that two musicians, for example, are 
performing the same piece. The one who is emotionally rigid will give a very direct 
performance. However, the one with the more sensitive personality may create a 
more rich performance through the use of emotional diversity. By listening to 
recordings, it can be observed that performers at different ages play the same 
repertory with different interpretations. This stems from the changes of personality, 
thinking, and views of life as we age.  Thus, music and personality have many 
affinities with each other.  If a musician wishes to achieve a mature artistic life, 
properly changing his pattern of thinking in addition to improving technical skills 
would surely be one of the paths to reaching this goal.    
 
6
Rehearsal and Psychology 
Between the Conductor and the Ensemble 
Perhaps affected by an ?egocentric power complex? or social influence, the 
leadership of early conductors was often lacking a sense of proportion; thus, they 
tended to treat players unfairly and rudely.
 14
 Arthur Nikisch thought it was a matter 
of-course to treat players demandingly and exactingly: ?Why should I be otherwise?? 
he replied. ?When I play the piano, do I ask the keys how the music should sound??
15
 
In fact, it can be said, ?a violent manner of dealing with people will either be defeated 
by their resistance or result in their intimidation?. 
16
 So when people are treated 
rudely, they tend to either resist or turn away.  During the past decade, the 
relationship between conductors and players has been changed, as well as the general 
rehearsal atmosphere.  Nowadays, most of musicians are strongly self-aware; they are 
not only conscious of respect from people, but they are also eager to express 
themselves.  Therefore, unlike the stern and demanding style of earlier times, some 
famous conductors, for example, like Von Karajan, respect ensemble members a lot.
17
 
?It is never safe to conduct an orchestra of enemies, ? Izler Solomon says, ?They may 
officially obey your orders, but they can always find the subtle ways of making you 
appear at your worst, no matter how good you are.?
18
 
14
 Max Rudolf, ?Rehearsal Techniques, ? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: 
McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 288. 
 
15
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 38. 
 
16
 Bruno Walter, Of Music And Music-Making. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1957), 
120. 
 
17
 See page 17.  
 
18
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 38. 
 
7
Today?s conductors wish to earn the respect and admiration of the players, or 
at least to establish a positive working relationship. 
19
 Because of that, ?human 
management and leadership? as well as ?group psychology? are being emphasized.  
Music is such a personal, internal, emotional activity; the conductor must be able to 
create an atmosphere of perfect harmony in order to inspire members? emotions, to 
engage members in their musicality, and even to discover and develop members? 
potential.
 20
 Once the group spirit is inspired, individuals in the group will be mentally 
united as one, as Leopold Stokowski states: 
?the conductor must understand the psychology of the players and know 
how to unify all the greatly varying characters of the players into one 
harmonious organism- which is a combination of many instruments, but 
still more of many psychological and emotional personalities. All these 
must be fused into one.? 
21
 
Communication Through the Inner Power 
During rehearsal, the conductor has to not only pay attention to players? 
emotions, but also effectively communicate with them, in order to express his musical 
interpretations and expectations.  As Max Rudolf said: ?Each conductor must find his 
own way to project his feelings, by virtue of his personality, by singing a phrase with 
appropriate expression, or by hitting on the illuminating word.?
22
 The general way 
to express one?s self is through language.  According to a survey conducted in 
conjunction with this paper, the ensemble members judge a conductor by his 
command of English language, because the language may affect the 
 
19
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 38. 
20
 Bruno Walter, Of Music And Music-Making (New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1957), 123. 
 
21
 Leopold Stokowski, ?The Art of Conducting, ? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New 
York: McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 200. 
 
22
 Max Rudolf, ?Rehearsal Techniques, ? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: 
McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 289. 
.
8
communication.
23
 However, language sometimes is insufficient or superficial in 
expression.  Usually, the conductor can lead players by demonstrations or singing, 
which is an external expression.  Other than that, leading members through inner 
expression and eye language is the key to whether or not the group is able to perform 
music in a way that is deeply moving.  For the conductor, performers in a group are 
like ?instruments,? and he has to move them with sincere sensibility. So those 
?instruments,? will follow your emotions and perform whatever you conduct.  The 
one who is able to touch people must have rich sensibility, a warm-hearted 
personality, and enthusiasm.
24
 To touch a ?group,? he needs a great deal of patience 
and human concern as well as a strong will.  Hermann Scherchen describes that an 
orchestra is like an organ whose pipes are replaced by human beings:  
?To be able to play this organ is to be a magician; to command it requires 
almost superhuman powers. But these powers live only in the innermost 
focus of the ego, at the very source of feeling and inspiration.?
25
With intense individual emotion, expression and power, Pablo Casals, the 
celebrated cellist as well as conductor, impressed on people the rich expression and 
strong emotions which made players immediately feel what kind of musical 
representation the conductor wished:  
?When Casals rehearsed Wagner?s ?Siegfried Idyll?- the ?symphonic 
birthday greeting to his Cosima from her Richard?, written in 
commemoration of their son?s birth. After the opening bars had been 
played very beautifully, Casals stopped the orchestra, closed his eyes, and 
quietly clasped his hands together. For a long moment he became quite 
still, absorbed in contemplation. His transfigured expression reflected a 
oneness with the spirit from which this music is born: infinite devotion, 
profoundest love. Then without a single word, he indicated that the 
orchestra should begin again. Aware or not of how or why they had been 
 
23
 22% of the survey?s respondents judge a conductor by his command of the English language, and 
40% people ?somewhat? do the same. See appendix, question 10, p. 59. 
24
 Compared to authority, confidence, efficiency, organization, and persuasiveness, enthusiasm 
received the highest score on the most important characteristics for the ideal conductor to possess. See 
appendix, question 1, p. 58.  
 
25
 Hermann Scherchen, ?On Conducting, ? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: 
McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 226. 
 
9
moved, the musicians brought to their playing a more inward quality of 
feeling, drawn from a source of deep tenderness and from this source the 
entire work sang as if shimmering from a golden mirror. Although Casals 
paused to rehearse points of detail, the continuity of feeling remained 
unbroken?. 
26
Leonard Bernstein also agrees with leading a group in the way which 
precisely and effectively expresses conductor?s inner emotions and immediately 
appeals to members:   
The conductor must not only make his orchestra play; he must make them 
want to play. He must exalt them, lift then start their adrenalin pouring, 
either through cajoling or demanding or raging. But however he does it, he 
must make the orchestra love the music as he loves it. It is not so much 
imposing his will on them like a dictator; it?s more like projecting his 
feelings around him so that they reach the last man in the second violin 
section. And when this happens- when one hundred men share his 
feelings, exactly simultaneously, responding as one to each rise and fall of 
the music, to each point of arrival and departure, to each little inner pulse- 
then there is a human identity of feeling that has no equal elsewhere. It is 
the closest thing I know to love itself. On this current love the conductor 
can communicate at the deepest levels with his players.? 
27
 
Both celebrated conductors deeply understand the complexity of human 
emotions and expressions.  Of course, the conductor won?t be influential to a group 
until his players completely accept and respond to the spiritual affinities with each 
other:  
?The conductor should strive to encourage every sign of emotional 
participation in the orchestra, he should explore and employ to the fullest 
degree the capacities of his collaborators; he should excite their interest, 
advance their musical talents, in short, he should exert a beneficial 
influence on them?. 
28
 
26
 David Blum, Casals And The Art Of Interpretation (California: University of California Press, 
1977), 2. 
 
27
 Leonard Bernstein, ?The Art of Conducting,? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: 
McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 274. 
 
28
 Bruno Walter, Of music and music-making (New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1957). 123. 
 
10
The Personality of a Conductor 
?Music is the most spiritual of the arts? the secret of art is the secret of 
personality.? 
29
 So we know that the influence of the conductor to a group is 
established on his personality and the level of spiritual affinity among players:  
?Personality is of the decisive importance in the realm of musical 
interpretation, and its expansive force means more in the matter of 
influencing the orchestra than a spate of rational explanations.? 
30
 
To reach players? hearts, therefore, the conductor must deeply understand his 
own personality.  Assuming that he wants to be an influential, the personality must 
contain all the positive qualities, such as warmness, open-mindedness, ardor, 
sensitivity, imagination, and strong perception:  
?The players must feel that he (conductor) feels, understands and is 
moved; then his emotion communicates itself to those whom he conducts. 
His inner fire warms them, his enthusiasm carries them away, and he 
radiates musical energy. But if he is indifferent and cold, he paralyzes 
everything around him, like the icebergs floating in the polar sea, whose 
approach is announced by the sudden cooling of the atmosphere.?
31
 
Such a personality from the warmness of the heart is the most amazing 
characteristic and strongest power of the conductor, and brings the music he produced 
into a wonderful ecstasy from soul to soul.
 32
 However, eye language- like body 
language, but refers to the communication of ideas and emotions through expressions 
in the eye- is the best way to express warmth and sincerity of heart.  The conductor?s 
eyes must look at players with ardor and harmlessness, so that there is more 
 
29
 Hermann Scherchen, ?On Conducting, ?  The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: 
McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 224. 
 
30
 Bruno Walter, Of music and music-making (New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1957), 123. 
 
31
 Hector Berlioz, ?On Conduciting,? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: McGraw 
Hill Book Company, 1965), 25. 
 
32
 Bruno Walter, ?The Conductor, ? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: McGraw 
Hill Book Company, 1965), 197. 
 
11
understanding and co-operation between them.
 33
 Eye language and subtle body 
language will betray a human?s inner world; therefore, eye contact is absolutely 
necessary while communicating to players.  To know what the players exactly think, 
the conductor has to look players in the eye. Meanwhile, through the eye language, 
the conductor can clearly express the music he wants to produce -- passionate, 
touching, urgent, or mournful -- and his love for the music, which is the most 
important thing!  With pure love towards the music, the conductor would be eager to 
share his feeling and inspire players through his tones, portraying earnest sentiment 
with his eye language, and wish to have his players affected: 
?In the Andante con moto from Mozart?s Symphony No. 39? Casals 
called out, ?Full-full!?, He rose from his chair and spread out his arms in a 
great gesture of openness and acceptance, saying, ?Like this- like this!? 
The musicians responded with playing of luminous warmth. Their 
capacity for expression had suddenly been enlarged by Casals? fidelity to 
the voice of his own feeling?.
34
 
The conductor should try to be a truly sincere and honest person.
 35
 He stands 
in front of people, communicates his feeling sincerely, without falseness or prejudice, 
and expresses his love for music without hesitating.  It is what Bruno Walter thinks 
about the charisma of the conductor, which presents the ?artistic gifts and the 
emotional power of a great heart.?
 36
 Only when the conductor simply opens his heart 
do the performers clearly understand his thoughts clearly, and completely perform 
with their true emotion.   
 
33
 Leopord Stokowski, ?Conducting,? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: McGraw 
Hill Book Company, 1965), 198. 
34
 David Blum, Casals And The Art Of Interpretation. (California: University of California Press, 
1977), 10. 
 
35
 Almost every famous conductor mentioned this point, such as  Bruno Walter and Leopold 
Stokowski.  
 
36
 Bruno Walter, ?The Conductor,? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: McGraw 
Hill Book Company, 1965), 197. 
12
Chapter Two 
The three roles of a conductor and their practical purposes 
If we want to understand the complex emotional relationships between the 
conductor and the ensemble members, we must first understand the conductor?s role 
or characteristics:  
Musician, scholar, coach, communicator, educator, diplomat, 
disciplinarian, executive, planner, budget manager, personnel officer, 
efficiency expert, advocate, publicist, guide, leader, visionary: The ideal 
conductor combines all these roles in an intricate vocation.
37
 
Among the many roles listed above, there are 3 types of roles we need to pay 
special attention to beyond those of musician and scholar.  These are leader, teacher 
and colleague.
38
 
As a leader: 
Ability to Organize 
The conductor?s organizational ability is very important, especially when he 
leads a professional ensemble. According to the survey, 30% of ensemble members 
surveyed never trust a conductor who is poorly organized.
39
 It is a key point for the 
conductor to persuade and earn the trust of the professional musicians. If they feel the 
rehearsal is run efficiently, they will feel the conductor is worthy of their effort. 
 ?Ability to organize, is so important because it saves precious time in the 
rehearsals, because a well-organized group takes pride in its smooth 
 
37
 Robert W. Demaree and Don V Moses, The complete conductor (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1995), 
1. 
 
38
 According to the survey, the respondents think the importance for the conductor being a leader and 
teacher are almost equal. There are also 11% respondents think it is important for the conductor being 
a ?friend?. See appendix, question 21, p. 60. 
 
39
 See appendix, question 13, p. 59 
 
13
functioning, and because it saves so much wear and tear on everyone?s 
nerves, especially the conductor?s? 
40
 
In order to have the rehearsal start on time, the conductor has to make sure 
everything is settled before the ensemble members walk in. For example, are there 
chairs and stands enough for all the musicians, or are the risers set up already in the 
rehearsal room? If the conductor plans a sectional rehearsal, does he book additional 
room in advance?  If the rehearsal place is changed, is it announced beforehand to the 
ensemble?  
In terms of concert planning, ?every concert needs to be thoughtfully planned 
more than several months in advance to be the right kind of experience for 
everybody.? 
41
 There are more things for the conductor to think about before the 
concert: 
42
 
Who will sponsor the concert? 
Where and when will the performance take place? 
What kinds of expenses or financial arrangements are involved? 
What kind of facilities, equipment, and musical instruments will be available? 
Who will attend the concert?  
How large an audience is expected? 
What type of music will they accept? 
How long will the concert be? 
What achievement level will be appropriate? 
 
There are so many details for a conductor to think about and prepare. Sometimes 
the conductor is not just a ?musician? but a ?manager,? especially if there is no 
other administrator who can help. The conductor may ask the ensemble members 
for help, and let them share those small but important responsibilities. It can also 
give the ensemble a sense of participation.  
 
40
 Max T. Krone, Expressive Conducting (Park Ridge, Illinois: Neil A. Kjos Music Co., 1949), 4. 
41
 Gordon H. Lamb, Choral Techniques (Dubuque, Iowa: WM. C Brown Company Publisher, 1974), 
93. 
 
42
 Lewis Gordon, Choral Director?s Rehearsal and Performance Guide (West Nyack, New York: 
Parker Publishing Company, 1989), 25-26. 
 
14
Ability to Manage  
There are many unexpected incidents that can happen during rehearsals or 
even performances. For example, in an amateur ensemble, some people may ask to 
join the performance even though they did not attend most of the rehearsals, or they 
lost their music just before the concert. The conductor needs to ?establish necessary 
guidelines and rules?; for example: ?punctuality (begin on time and end on time), 
absenteeism (insist on standards of attendance), and attention (require active 
participation and concentration from all members)?. 
43
 Once the rules are established 
under the insistence and execution of the conductor, ensemble management problems 
will be reduced. Unforeseen circumstances can still occur, and they may challenge 
the conductor?s wisdom. Here are several real situations: 
 
(Situation A) 
Suddenly, one violist started to speak impolitely to the guest conductor during 
the rehearsal. It was because when the guest conductor said, ?no, no, you can?t play 
like this, you should play like that...? the conductor was pointing out with his 
forefinger toward the viola section.  This player thought the viola section didn?t make 
that mistake, and she had the feeling of being censured by the conductor. She 
couldn?t tolerate the conductor?s misunderstanding and insult. The conductor was 
surprised at this outburst.  He simply explained to the player that he did not blame the 
viola section, and also did not intentionally point his finger at any particular person.  
However, on account of the impolite attitude of the player, the conductor?s mood was 
severely affected and the conductor decided to take an early break in the rehearsal.   
(Solution) 
This happened in a professional orchestra in Taiwan five years ago. The other 
musicians saw the incident and the impolite attitude of this player.  The only thing 
for the conductor to do was to explain his own unconscious behavior, and try not 
to fight with the player.  If the conductor had reacted badly and started to dispute 
 
43
 Lewis Gordon, Choral Director?s Rehearsal and Performance Guide (West Nyack, New York: 
Parker Publishing Company, 1989), 123-124. 
 
15
with the musician, it could have been very negative and may have caused other 
musicians to have less respect for the conductor.  The only thing we can say is, 
the leader must have more tolerance and better demeanor, in order to earn 
the admiration of the people led by him. 
(Situation B) 
During the performance, there was a movement performed by a soloist 
accompanied by the orchestra.  After the orchestra played the interlude, the soloist did 
not sing at the right time. The conductor did not stop and he was hoping that the 
soloist could find the place as soon as possible. The soloist still could not find exactly 
where the music was, and he finally hurriedly raised his hand and said to the 
conductor loudly: ?I can?t find the place, could we start again??  The conductor could 
do nothing else but to stop the orchestra and start again. 
 
(Solution)   
This disaster took place at the school where I was getting my master?s degree.  
At that time, the conductor was my professor- Dr. William Cutter.  After the piece 
was finished, everyone felt frustrated and sad, and the mood was strongly affected by 
this incident. Even worse, the second half of the performance promised to be more 
difficult because no one would be able to concentrate. During the intermission, 
everyone went backstage, and no one dared to look at Dr. Cutter. We all thought that 
he might start to scold someone.  While everyone was bowing their head low, 
suddenly, we heard Dr. Cutter?s pleasant and clear voice, says, ?Thanks to everyone, 
thanks to our orchestra, and thanks to our wonderful soloists!?  He spoke out all the 
names of soloists and thanked each of them.  We could not believe what we had heard 
and seen!  Dr. Cutter?s sincere smile calmed and comforted everyone.  After the 
intermission, we entered the stage again, with everyone?s mood lifted, and the people 
around me felt pleasant and confident.  It was the best singing we had ever done for 
that difficult music!  This experience made a profound impression on me.  The 
16
emotional intelligence of the conductor can be so powerful that it can make very 
important changes for the ensemble.
44
 
Charisma of the Conductor 
Richard Strauss?s father, a famous horn player, once said, ?Remember this, 
you conductors. We watch you step up on the podium and open your score. Before 
you pick up your baton, we know if it is you or we who will be master.?
45
 
Some experienced orchestra players told me some conductors inspire them to play 
for them, but some conductors cannot influence them at all.  It does not mean the 
process of the practice was boring or no fun.  It happens when the conductor steps 
upon the podium, looks at the musicians surrounding him, then raises his hands- 
and the musicians start feeling the psychological changes made by the conductor. 
It sounds horrifying for us as conductors, doesn?t it?  It makes me start to think 
seriously about ?charisma of the conductor.?   
?Leadership is not domination, but the art of persuading people to work 
toward a common goal,?
46
 and ?the ability to elicit willing responses from 
others is largely dependent on one?s personality.?
47
 ??A magnetic 
personality is as important to a conductor as scholarship, and much more 
essential than either perfect pitch or a photographic memory.?
48
 
44
 Emotional intelligence: An individual's ability to manage him or herself as well as other 
relationships.  It consists of four fundamental capabilities of self-awareness, self management, social 
awareness, and social skill. (www.cwru.edu/med/epidbio/mphp439/Dictionary.htm)
45
 Charles Munch, I am a conductor, trans. Leonard Burkat (New York: Oxford University Press, 
1955), 61. 
 
46
 Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence (USA: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 
1995), 149. 
 
47
 Lewis Gordon, Choral Director?s Rehearsal and Performance Guide (West Nyack, New York: 
Parker Publishing Company, 1989), 126. 
 
48
 David Ewen, Dictator of the Baton (Chicago: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 1943), p. 9. 
 
17
People conclude more about others? personalities through ?the look on your 
face than the words that come out of that face. ? 
49
 The expression of the conductor 
can ?speak? to his ensemble and attract their attention if he ?looks calm, happy, 
interacting, and self-confident.?
 50
 If the conductor is preoccupied with his thought 
and acts uneasy, his ability to persuade to people is reduced greatly.   
Being a leader, the conductor should train and remind himself to: 
(1) Respect the ensemble and be patient:  
 ?In a good circumstance, one?s musicians are colleagues and must be 
treated with genuine respect?.
51
 People will respect you more when they feel your 
respect them. As a player of the Vienna Philharmonic said about von Karajan: ?I?ve 
always greatly respected von Karajan, simply because he treated you man to man?he 
was a real man, a real gentleman??
52
 With proper respect, it will be much easier for 
the conductor to earn the trust of the ensemble and also to solve the problems during 
the rehearsal: 
Sometimes problems work themselves out better if treated gently rather 
than with force. Patient understanding does have its virtue, especially 
when applied to artistic endeavor. And the director who has not learned to 
get his or her ego out of the way in upright situations will be unable to 
develop that unique quality called graciousness.
53
 
Munch says:  ?How do you become a conductor? Heaven knows that it takes 
enthusiasm, love, patience, and work.? 
54
 Patience can help the conductor keep a calm 
 
49
 D. A. Benton, Executive Charisma (USA: Mc Graw Hill, 2003), 102. 
 
50
 D. A. Benton, Executive Charisma (USA: Mc Graw Hill, 2003), 102 
 
51
 Robert W. Demaree and Don V Moses, The complete conductor (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1995), 
94. 
 
52
 Richard Osborne, Conversations with Von Karajan (Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1989), 
13. 
53
 Lewis Gordon, Choral Director?s Rehearsal and Performance Guide (West Nyack, New York: 
Parker Publishing Company, 1989), 127-128. 
 
54
 Charles Munch, I am a conductor, trans. Leonard Burkat (New York: Oxford University Press, 
1955), 13. 
 
18
and a clear mind, and overcome all of the difficulties during the rehearsal.  If the 
conductor doesn?t have patience, he may lose his temper quite often.  
(2) Treat members with integrity and fairness:  
 If the conductor favors or neglects certain ensemble members, it will 
cause friction within the ensemble. ?A chorus cannot tolerate exceptions for 
individuals: any prima donna treatment signifies the beginning of the end of a 
genuinely integrated membership.? 
55
 
(3) Be human, humorous, slow down, shut up and listen:
56
 
Although the conductor is the leader and the main ?talker? during the 
rehearsal, he can listen to the ensemble members? opinions patiently and with respect, 
and at the same time, achieve real communication and understand the thoughts from 
others if he can just ?listen, not judge.?
57
 If an ensemble member?s behavior is really 
unacceptable, the conductor must guide him properly. The conductor should clearly 
indicate his expectation of his ensemble, and also make sure the expectation is within 
the member?s ability.  Sometimes there might be certain unbearable behaviors, but try 
to find the merit of each ensemble member and sincerely appreciate each of them.  
(4) Stillness and confidence:    
 The common mistakes made by young conductors are, to act hurriedly, 
bury themselves in the score, or start before the musicians are ready. They sometimes 
speak too fast, or with an overbearing manner. All of these things mentioned above 
can allow the conductor to make mistakes more easily and lose the trust of the 
 
55
 Kurt Thomas, The Choral Conductor, trans. Alfred Mann and William H. Reese (New York: 
Associated Music Publishers, 1971), 43. 
 
56
 D. A. Benton, Executive Charisma (USA: Mc Graw Hill, 2003), 10. 
 
57
 D. A. Benton, Executive Charisma (USA: Mc Graw Hill, 2003), 173. 
 
19
ensemble. The conductor should discipline himself, take a deep breath before he steps 
on the podium, slow down, and try his best to be calm during the rehearsal.  
Stillness suggests confidence and a certain maturity. Slowing down means 
being purposeful and acting with awareness. People will give you more 
attention and pay more attention to you with your steady pace. If you take 
the time to rest and test, you?ll be a lot faster
58
.
The Speaking Manner 
The conductor should be a good communicator.
59
 ??What do they expect 
from a new conductor?? Godfrey Layefsky, for many years first violist of Pittsburgh 
Symphony, answered this question with one word: ?communication.?? 
60
 
A good communicator is one who can use proper words, accurately express 
his thinking, and at the same time, can quickly understand what others are trying to 
express.  
A flair for what to say, and what not to say, is part of a conductor?s 
psychological perception and calls for presence of mind. To know how to 
word criticisms, to feel when to give encouragement, to sense when a 
tense moment is best relieved by a joking remark, all this affects the 
relationship between the leader and his group.
61
 
If the conductor knows the art of speaking, he can avoid improper words that 
might cause misunderstanding. In order to avoid misunderstanding, the conductor 
may observe the facial expressions of the ensemble members; if members express 
their confusion or disapproval on their faces, the conductor should explain his reasons 
for making a decision, or ask the ensemble directly for their thoughts.  It doesn?t 
mean that the conductor should be a ?nice guy.? Actually, the conductor needs to be 
decisive because of the responsibility of leadership.
62
 This kind of communication is 
 
58
 D. A. Benton, Executive Charisma (USA: Mc Graw Hill, 2003), 154. 
59
 Robert W. Demaree, Jr. and Don V Moses, The Complete Conductor (Englewood Cliffs, New 
Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 1995), 4. 
 
60
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 56. 
 
61
 Max Rudolf, The Grammar of Conducting (New York: Macmillian Publishing Co., Inc., 1969), 394. 
 
62
 Lewis Gordon, Choral Director?s Rehearsal and Performance Guide (West Nyack, New York: 
Parker Publishing Company, 1989), 125. 
 
20
necessary in order to avoid possible conflicts and misunderstanding between the 
ensemble and the conductor, and to create a harmonious atmosphere during the 
rehearsal. Also, ?Whatever the conductor says he should say in a loud, clear voice, 
for no orchestra trusts a timid leader,?
 63
 says Peter Fuchs.  And then he should 
quickly ?look over every single player.?  With the eye language, the conductor could 
take care of each player and also make sure that everybody is ready. Besides, the 
conductor should be careful of the duration of his talking.  When the conductor starts 
making a ?speech,? team members will gradually lose their attention after a few 
minutes.
64
 
During the rehearsal, sometimes the conductor makes mistakes. Under 
everyone?s eye, it is not smart if he tries to hide any mistake, because it only puts 
himself into a more embarrassed or difficult position. The best way is to admit fault 
immediately. Pierre Monteux once told his student: ?When you make a mistake you 
must admit it, but of course?- he added with a twinkle- ?you must not make it too 
often?.? 
65
 Most of the ensemble members will accept the courage the conductor has 
shown.
66
 
When the conductor asks the musicians to do what he wants, he can make his 
request by starting his sentence with ?let us ...? or ?could we try?.?. If the conductor 
uses ?we? instead of  ?you,? it can let the ensemble feel and realize: ?the conductor is 
?with us,?? and also have the feeling of ?being invited,? instead of being ?ordered.?  
 
63
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 48. 
64
 According to the survey, only 24% respondents can accept if  the conductor gives a long speech. See 
appendix ?question 17, ? p. 60.  
 
65
 Max Rudolf, ?Rehearsal Techniques, ? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: 
McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 288. 
 
66
 According to the question 5 and 14, 77% respondents agree that the conductor should admit his own 
mistakes, and tries to improve. 90% respondents think the conductor will not compromise his 
professionalism if he acknowledges his mistakes. See appendix, p. 58 and 59. 
 
21
Another issue is temper control, which many young conductors may confuse 
temperament with emotional outbursts:
67
 
?The unforgivable sin of conducting, so serious that it has damaged more 
than one conductor?s prestige and in some cases has resulted in 
termination of tenure, is losing of one?s temper. A conductor may be 
distressed at the inability of his chorus to realize his wishes, but he must 
nevertheless remain cheerful and encouraging?. The singers must  
respect not only the musician but the man as well, and a single loss of 
temper may jeopardize relations between chorus and director, a situation 
which can never yield the best artistic results.?
68
 
The conductor can speak with a firm and serious manner to the ensemble if they 
make the same mistake many times or they don?t have a good attitude during the 
rehearsal, but he needs to be extra careful about his temper and words. 
Conductors should never offer criticism  
? delivered in a harsh, sarcastic, angry tone, providing neither a chance to 
respond nor any suggestion of how to do things better. It leaves the person 
receiving it feeling helpless and angry. From the vantage point of 
emotional intelligence, such criticism displays an ignorance of the feelings 
it will trigger in those who receive it, and the devastating effect those 
feelings will have on their motivation, energy, and confidence in doing 
their work
69
 
The ensemble needs a calm leader but not a dictator. If the ensemble 
member?s behavior is really unacceptable, the conductor must ?guide him properly, 
and not attack the person?s character, motive, or ability. Stick to the needed behavior 
change.? 
70
 Therefore, any criticism has to state the facts and the way to improve. 
 
67
 Lloyd Pfautsch, Mental Warmups for the Choral Director (New York: Lawson-Gould Music 
Publishers, Inc., 1969), 26. 
 
68
 Archibald T. Davison, Choral Conducting (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 
1962), 41. 
69
 Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence (USA: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 
1995), 151. 
 
70
 D. A. Benton, Executive Charisma (USA: Mc Graw Hill, 2003), 44. 
 
22
The conductor should also pay attention to how his words sound in another people?s 
ears, and adjust in order to let people accept them easily.
71
 
Besides criticism, anger is another important issue. Psychologist Diane Tice 
found that ?ventilating anger is one of the worst ways to cool down: outbursts of rage 
typically pump up the brain?s emotional arousal, leaving people feeling more angry, 
not less.? ?When people told of times they had taken their rage out on the person who 
provoked it, the net effect was to prolong the mood rather then end it. Far more 
effective was when people first cooled down, and then, in a more constructive or 
assertive manner, confronted the person to settle their dispute.? 
72
 Also, the Tibetan 
monks suggest: ?Don?t suppress it. But don?t act on it.?
 73
 The degree of the 
criticism should be according to the degree of the error. 
Conductor?s Demeanor  
The conductor?s demeanor must always be true and real. The conductor 
should be fair to every single musician, and not show preferences or dislikes.  Some 
conductors tend to judge people and believe that ?everybody is working against me,? 
which is the wrong pattern of thinking and needs to be avoided.  However, it is 
inevitable that players may be biased against the conductor for many different 
 
71
 According to the survey, most of the respondents can?t accept if the conductor: loud yelling, 
throwing the music in anger, weeps, the conductor walks out, the conductor speaks sarcastically, or the 
conductor expresses frustration with a sign. See appendix, question 7, p. 59. 
72
 Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence (USA: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 
1995), 65. 
 
73
 Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence (USA: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 
1995), 64. 
 
23
reasons.
74
 The conductor should neither take those incorrect notions personally, nor 
take revenge on the players for this.  Negative emotion doesn?t resolve any problem.                   
For example, for some reason, one of the singers in the chorus was somewhat 
rude during my rehearsal.  I was trying to convey the idea of the music, and I 
requested that everyone listen to my thoughts.  But this particular singer tried to cover 
her mouth with her music and seemed to criticize my rehearsal technique.  Therefore, 
I responded: ?Please let me and everybody know right now if you have any 
comment!?   She replied, embarrassed, ?it is a cappella, so I don?t understand why 
you still play the piano when we sing??  I explained, ?This piece is kind of difficult 
for our chorus, and the second sopranos are still not able to get the pitches with 
accuracy, so we need the help from the piano for now.  I know it is a cappella, but I 
have to consider how to make the rehearsal effective by helping you feel successful 
and comfortable.?  She nodded and understood.    
I usually tell my ensemble members that they are welcome to make any 
comment during the rehearsal or talk to me personally.  It will be very negative if 
they are unhappy and criticize me behind my back.  I prefer to discuss issues with 
people, to come up with a resolution to a problem, and to really work with them.   
Assuming that everybody appropriately expresses any confusion and that the 
conductor clearly explains it, there is no need for distrust or any gray area.  Being 
honest is one of the best ways to effectively present music.   I was glad that I did not 
just tolerate and suffer, but asked her to express her ideas instead.  If I was just angry 
or suffering without saying anything, in the course of time I would dislike her and 
that would ruin our relationship.  As she got the opportunity to express what 
bothered her, I also got the opportunity to explain what I thought. Since the 
 
74
 According to the survey, some of the respondents judge a conductor by gender (20%), nationality 
(16%), and may have different attitude for an assistant conductor as opposed as regular conductor 
(65%). See appendix, questions 8, 9, and 11, p. 59.  
24
conductor and players have different roles on the stage, they definitely think in 
different ways.  When the conductor takes something for granted, players may not 
think in the same way.  Therefore, communicating plays an important role ? people 
express what they consider, and at the same time understand others ? which will 
reduce a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings.  Besides, if the conductor loses his 
temper merely because of one or two members, it is unfair to others, and may bring 
about unnecessary misunderstandings or hurt feelings.  Thus, the conductor should 
think carefully before getting angry in order to be in good emotional control.
75
 
Knowing the Psychological Conditions of His Musicians  
Besides controlling himself, the conductor should encourage players 
whenever he can; but if he doesn?t know them well, it is not easy to do. Charles 
Munch used to observe his ensemble members and tried to understand their 
personalities and psychological conditions through watching their ?eyes.?
76
 Peter 
Paul Fuchs even suggests the conductor ?may be an amateur psychologist who can 
tell a great deal about a man by the way he looks at him or by the way he takes his 
instrument out of the case. If he does, it will give him a considerable advantage in his 
work.? 
77
 
Knowing his ensemble members well will be a great help especially when the 
rehearsal mood is not quite right during rehearsal. Besides showing his optimistic and 
 
75
 According to the survey, there are 76% respondents agree that the emotional self-control is an 
important issue for a conductor. See appendix, question 7, p. 57. 
76
 Charles Munch, I am a conductor, trans. Leonard Burkat (New York: Oxford University Press, 
1955), 77. 
 
77
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 39. 
 
25
positive attitude by keeping a smile, the conductor can change the bad mood of the 
ensemble by putting himself into the psychological situation of the musician who 
looks unhappy today: ?She is not a rude person, so she is probably in a bad mood or 
something bad happened.  I should try to encourage her or smile at her more often; 
that may change her low energy.?  Or after rehearsing the conductor may ask her, 
?you don?t look well today, are you alright??  Usually the ensemble members will 
appreciate that the conductor cares about them sincerely.   Ensemble members may 
not feel strongly about the conductor, but they will be happy to work with him if he 
can deal with their emotions well.  
It should be noted, however, that the conductor should not attempt to make 
excessive repeated efforts to overcome a particular shortcoming.  For example, if 
the sopranos are unable to sing a downward minor third correctly after several 
tries, perhaps it is time to move on and try to correct this problem at a later time.  
This is necessary to avoid causing a sense of discouragement and also to maintain 
a steady pace of progress.  In addition, it protects the singers from losing their 
voices.  It often turns out that, after the rehearsal, the conductor (having been able 
to think through the situation thoroughly) may discover what the underlying 
problem was and come up with an effective solution. 
How do you encourage your ensemble? The answer is, with ?kind words? and 
sympathy.  The musicians will respond with wonderful performing if they receive 
?kind words? from the conductor:  
?To encourage the horns to produce an uninhibited crescendo in a difficult 
passage from the third movement of Beethoven?s ?Eroica?, Casals said: 
?Let us make the crescendo right to the end of the phrase. Play without 
fear. If the note doesn?t come out, you?re welcome all the same.? The note 
did come out, and with rousing vigour.?
78
 
78
 David Blum, Casals and the art of interpretation (California: University of California Press, 1977), 
10. 
 
26
 
The conductor?s sympathy, trust and help are equally essential when playing 
an important and difficult solo segment; the conductor has to be respectful to the 
soloist?s interpretation and allow him to freely present his.
 79
 
Charles Munch concludes,  
?What attitude should the conductor take toward the musicians to obtain 
the best results? - Let him not make long speeches to them. Musicians 
come to play, not to listen to lectures. Say what you must in as few words 
as possible. ? Let them retain some sense of responsibility. Never 
discourage them. Restore the confidence of those who are in trouble. Do 
not make much of their errors. Correct them without embarrassing them 
before their comrades.?
80
 
As a Teacher 
 ?All conductors are music educators.? 
81
 The conductor acts primarily as a 
teacher during rehearsals in terms of interpretation of the music, correcting the 
mistakes, and introducing knowledge of the musical background and style.  The 
Chinese proverb ?teaching and learning advance mutually? means that the teacher 
during instruction also learns from the students.  Consequently, the conductor should 
not be afraid to try different or new rehearsal techniques. Through assessing the 
responses of the singers, the conductor can improve his rehearsal skills and find the 
best way to work with a particular group. 
82
 
79
 Sir John Barbirolli, ?The Art of Conducting,? The Conductor?s Art ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: 
McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 244. 
 
80
 Charles Munch, I am a conductor, trans. Leonard Burkat (New York: Oxford University Press, 
1955), 61. 
81
 Robert W. Demaree and Don V Moses, The Complete Conductor (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1995), 
5. 
82
 Lloid Pfautsch, ?The Choral Conductor and the Rehearsal, ? Choral Conducting- A Symposium, ed. 
Harold A. Decker and Julius Herford (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1973), 78. 
 
27
Speaking Skill: 
In general, if the ensemble?s level of musical proficiency is lower, they need more 
encouragement from the conductor.
83
 Encouragement does not equal superficial 
praise. The conductor needs to clearly point out the things that the ensemble 
members did well.  This is especially true with adult ensembles, as they usually 
can easily sense a ?good will lie?.  The encouragement will be even more 
effective when statements are accompanied with a smile and expressed with 
sincerity.  
When the members really feel they are being praised, their self-confidence 
will grow and learning motivation will also increase.  Following Torrance?s theory on 
?Increasing students? creative thinking,? a criticism must clearly explain its cause and 
consequence relationship.  Do not simply state, ?this is good? or ?this is bad,? but say 
?I like this because...? and ?If we do this... it can be even better.? 
84
 Take the choir as 
the example; the conductor can say, ?You guys sound good, the rhythm was exactly 
right. Can we now pay more attention to the volume?? Or, ?That was great! Our 
diction is more precise than last time. May we sing it one more time and try to make a 
better balance? We need more tenor sound but less soprano.?  Most of the time, the 
conductor should ?praise frequently, criticize indirectly.? 
85
 As discussed above, one 
should use positive, constructive, and encouraging statements to stimulate the 
motivation and interest of the members. Furthermore, the conductor can train the 
singers ?to be their own teacher.? When rehearsing with the University Chorale, Dr. 
Edward Maclary (Professor of University of Maryland) sometimes would test the 
 
83
 According to the survey, most of the respondents enjoy working with encouraging conductor most. 
See appendix, question 3, p. 58.    
 
84
 E. P. Torrance, Guiding Creative Behavior (Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1965), 26. 
85
 Lewis Gordon, Choral Director?s Rehearsal and Performance Guide (West Nyack, New York: 
Parker Publishing Company, 1989), 119. 
28
students? ability to analyze the quality of their singing.  On a relatively new song that 
the group had practiced for only a few times, he would ask, ?If we sing this song 
again, what would you do to make the singing better?? Surprisingly, those non-music 
major student singers were always able to come up with appropriate and effective 
suggestions.  When the ensemble members have the ability to think independently 
regarding the quality of singing, the ensemble would improve rapidly because they 
know how to use their ears and brain during the rehearsal.  I also use this method on 
my amateur choir in order to make sure whether the ensemble understands or not.  I 
might ask, ?since these notes are quite high, what preparations should the sopranos 
make?" Usually because of my repeated reminders, they would reply, ?Create more 
space inside and lift up the eyebrows.?  This kind of ?question and answer? method 
may be effective in drawing ensemble members? attention and increasing their sense 
of active participation.  
 
Classroom Dynamics and Classroom Climate: 
The classroom dynamic has similar meaning to ?group dynamics? mentioned 
by Lloyd Pfautsch.
86
 The behaviors of students and teachers have a close 
interaction.
87
 If the teacher treats students with acceptance, encouragement, and 
appreciation, students will respond in a positive manner and have a strong will to 
participate in the class.
 88
 It is what the conductor expects during the rehearsal that 
can make the rehearsal run more efficiently. The personality of the teacher has a 
 
86
 Lloid Pfautsch, ?The Choral Conductor and the Rehearsal, ? Choral Conducting- A Symposium, ed. 
Harold A. Decker and Julius Herford (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1973), 70. 
 
87
 S. Klein, Student influence on teacher behavior (American Educational Research Journal, 1971), 
403-421. 
 
88
 N. A. Flanders, Teacher influence, pupil attitudes and achievement: Studies in interaction analysis, 
Final report, Cooperative research project No. 397 (Mineapolis, Minnesoto: University of Minnesoto, 
1960) 
 
29
strong influence on the students. The students will perform differently under the 
direction of different teachers. So the teacher?s behavior has a decisive influence on 
the behavior of the students.
 89
 
I emphasize on emotional intelligence because the conductor has to and must 
keep a good mood for rehearsal: ?Good moods, while they last, enhance the ability to 
think flexibly and with more complexity, thus making it easier to find solutions to 
problems, whether intellectual or interpersonal.? 
90
 Each rehearsal is a lesson to 
discover the problems and their solutions, a challenge for the conductor to remain 
energetic and sharp-minded as well. ?Even mild mood changes can sway thinking. In 
making plans or decisions people in good moods have a perceptual bias that leads 
them to be more expansive and positive in their thinking.?
91
 Some senior conductors 
also suggest that a sense of humor is essential for the conductor.  Amusing the team 
members can dramatically change people?s moods, build up their attention, improve 
the rehearsal atmosphere, create an efficient rehearsal, and encourage a good 
interaction in between.     
?The conductor himself, if he is absorbed in his work, will often quite 
innocently say or do things which amuse the chorus? A rehearsal should 
be enjoyable in the widest sense. The conductor or singer who does not 
anticipate the fun as well as the artistic profit should stay at home.?
92
 
A smart conductor knows how to relieve a group with a little amusement, 
making fun of himself or exchanging banter with ensemble members.   ?Humor is one 
 
89
 Chin-Hsien Chu, Psychology of Instruction (Taipei: Wu Nan Publisher, 1995), 126. 
 
90
 Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence (USA: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 
1995), 85. 
 
91
 Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence (USA: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc., 
1995), 85. 
 
92
 Archibald T. Davison, Choral Conducting (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 
1962), 9. 
 
30
of the forces at work in group dynamics,?
93
 says Lloid Pfautsch. Humor used 
appropriately can draw an ensemble together, creating a wonderful, efficient rehearsal 
atmosphere.
94
 Trying to reduce pressure with a sense of humor, the conductor can 
simply bring the musicians a positive mood, obviating distrust and creating a strong 
faith among them.
95
 
This term ?classroom climate? mentioned in Psychology of Instruction, 
speaks about different groups that have different characteristics.
 96
 It is the same for 
choirs and orchestras. With choirs for example, as Lloyd Pfautsch says, various kinds 
of choral groups have different group dynamics in a rehearsal. The conductor needs 
to adjust his rehearsal pacing, humor, and general attitude when he rehearses with 
various groups. 
97
 If the conductor understands the characteristics of a particular 
group and the reasons that the ensemble members are participating, then he can make 
suitable repertoire choices and rehearsal plans, and create an appropriate atmosphere 
for the ensemble.  
 
Differences among some types of choral ensembles 
The following discussion will touch on differences among some types of 
choral ensembles:  
1. Women?s Chorus:  
In comparing a Women?s Chorus with a Mixed Chorus, both of which I 
conducted while at the University of Maryland, the characteristic of the Women?s 
 
93
 Lloid Pfautsch, ?The Choral Conductor and the Rehearsal, ?  Choral Conducting- A Symposium, ed. 
Harold A. Decker and Julius Herford, (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1973), 71. 
 
94
 Lloid Pfautsch, ?The Choral Conductor and the Rehearsal, ?  Choral Conducting- A Symposium, ed. 
Harold A. Decker and Julius Herford, (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1973), 70. 
 
95
 D. A. Benton, Executive Charisma (USA: Mc Graw Hill, 2003), 184. 
 
96
 Chin-Hsien Chu, Psychology of Instruction (Taipei: Wu Nan Publisher, 1995), 131. 
 
31
Chorus was quiet and shy, especially in the beginning of the semester. I needed to 
lead them in an extremely positive and vigorous fashion. I rehearsed in an 
enthusiastic manner and lively way. For example, warm ups with a downward five-
note scale with the words, ?How are you today?; encouraging them to look at each 
other with a greeting smile. I allowed them to massage each other?s shoulders and say 
hello to each other at the same time. I also used the humor to break the ice and ease 
the ensemble members. When they feel comfortable during the rehearsal, then they 
can make friends with each other easily.  
Being a conductor of a Women?s Choir, I always needed a strong sympathetic and 
concerned mind, because female singers are somewhat sensitive and in need of 
encouragement. Also, the conductor can interact with the singers before or after 
the rehearsal, and they will be happy and appreciate it.  
 
2. Men?s Chorus:  
In the opinion of Lloyd Pfautsch, the conductor of a Men?s Chorus requires 
more of a sense of humor than the one of a women?s.
98
 Men?s Chorus can also benefit 
from a ?buddy-buddy? relationship. For example, when Patrick Walders led the 
Men?s Chorus at the University of Maryland, this group grew rapidly both in number 
and quality during 3 years. One of the main reasons was the close friendship and 
harmonious atmosphere that Patrick created with the ensemble members. Once a 
Men?s Chorus builds this kind of belonging feeling and identification within the 
group, they will have a strong will to contribute their efforts to the conductor.  
 
98
 Lloid Pfautsch, ?The Choral Conductor and the Rehearsal, ?  Choral Conducting- A Symposium, ed. 
Harold A. Decker and Julius Herford, (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1973), 71. 
 
32
 
3. Mixed Chorus:  
Let?s take University Chorale of University of Maryland as an example. The 
ensemble members are active and vigorous. They are willing to talk with people, and 
they have good and positive reactions caused by the conductor?s jokes or small funny 
movements. Because of the mixed gender of members, there is a greater diversity of 
personalities in the group and so building discipline is a challenge. 
In this group, the conductor needs to insist on discipline while shifting 
between a serious and humorous attitude. Because they are talkative and always have 
many interesting ideas to share, sometimes the rehearsal can become noisy and 
disorderly. The conductor needs to train them with admonishments, such as ?please 
don?t talk when the conductor is talking? and raise his hands to show ?be quiet now? 
at the same time. The conductor may need to remind them for several times for them 
to get used to the rules.  
 
4. Concert Choir or select college choir:  
?A select college choir can rehearse at a much faster and more demanding 
pace than the average volunteer church choir.?
99
 If the conductor slows down his 
pacing, the ensemble members will lose their interest and feel bored right away. The 
Chamber Singers of the New England Conservatory are an example of this kind of 
group. The members are the most selected from music major students. They have 
excellent sight-singing skill, excellent ears, a high quality of musicality, and quick 
responses to the conductor?s demand. If the conductor tries to explain something they 
already know or something not so important, they will show on their face 
 
99
 Lloid Pfautsch, ?The Choral Conductor and the Rehearsal,? Choral Conducting- A Symposium, ed. 
Harold A. Decker and Julius Herford (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1973), 71. 
33
immediately: ?Why do I need to do this?? or ?I know, you don?t need to explain!?  
Therefore, the only thing that the conductor needs to do is to point out what he wants 
in short and clear sentences, they fix, and then go on; or he may point out the 
mistakes without stopping. The conductor can arrange at least three pieces in a one-
and ?half hour rehearsal. It is better not to stay in the same music and practice it 
repeatedly, unless the conductor has very important reasons to do so. Being a 
conductor of this kind of group, he needs to have an excellent reaction, judgment, 
organization, and control of time. The most important thing that the high level 
musicians care about is whether the conductor can run the rehearsal efficiently with 
quality and good communication:  
?they expect authority and efficiency from their leader when he finds it 
necessary to discuss passages whose rendition needs verbal explanation. 
The ability to express himself plainly and concisely is an important part of 
the conductor?s craft?.
100
So they require a superb ?professional? conductor more than other groups and 
may not care too much if the conductor is humorous or nice.   
5. Amateur Choir:  
There are many different kinds of amateur choirs. The ensemble members join 
a choir for various reasons. Some of them join because they want to know people and 
make friends. Some of them look for the chance to learn and improve their singing 
skills, therefore they join with musical expectations. The teaching purpose for the 
amateur choir is to lead them to enjoy the beauty of music and teach them how to 
show their feelings of the text via singing. The conductor?s attitude should stay lively 
and vivacious when he rehearses in order to inspire the interest and attract the 
attention of the ensemble members. At the same time, the conductor needs a strong 
sense of humor and profound imagination, and must also demonstrate how to sing as 
 
100
 Max Rudolf, The Grammar of Conducting (New York: Schirmer Books, 1969), 387. 
34
much as possible. Although the amateur choir members? level is not high, it doesn?t 
mean that the conductor can?t ask them to do something ?musical? or ?skillful?. If the 
ensemble members have the strong desire to learn, the conductor can explain the 
singing skills, musical style and musicality in a simple way for them to understand 
easily. Actually, if the conductor does ask them, it can arouse their learning desire for 
the improvement, unless the conductor asks them to do something too difficult. The 
conductor has to be very careful about his critical words, because the ensemble 
members need lots of encouragement, praise and patience from him.
 101
 If they feel 
frustrated, they may quit and abandon their efforts.  
No matter what kind of groups that the conductor has, he needs to pay 
attention to how to create the classroom (or we can say rehearsal room) atmosphere.  
?A teacher who emphasizes the classroom climate will get better results in his 
teaching than other teachers?. 
102
 In conclusion, a suitable rehearsal atmosphere for 
the ensemble must be: ?positive, warm, harmonious, respectful? and also have the 
interaction of mutual help among the ensemble members and the conductor.  
 
As a Colleague: 
?No ensemble, no conductor.? The conductor should be alert and should 
realize who are the ones that ?make sound.?  A successful concert relies on the 
perfect interaction between the conductor and performers.  As Bruno Walter says, 
?He (the conductor) who cannot deal with people or exert his influence on them is not 
fully qualified for this profession.?
103
 Therefore, people?s eagerness and emotions are 
 
101
 James C. Coleman, Psychology and Effective Behavior (Glenview, Illionois: Scott, Foresman and 
Company, 1969), 383. 
 
102
 Chin-Hsien Chu, Psychology of Instruction (Taipei: Wu Nan Publisher, 1995), 132. 
103
 Bruno Walter, Of Music And Music-Making. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1957), 
111. 
35
the key points affecting the quality of music, and the attitude of both players and 
conductor is equally important.
104
 Thus, as a conductor, his job is to inspire people, 
bring positive attitude and musical emotion to them as well, rather than involve his 
emotions too much.  James Ross, conductor of the University of Maryland Symphony 
Orchestra, says that a conductor should learn how to let go and allow singers to 
present their emotions once he has cued singers with a clear gesture. With will and 
emotions, the conductor should inspire people?s musicality and feeling.  As soon as 
music starts, the conductor should not try to ?control music,? but simply follow the 
music itself.  If the conductor can appropriately pass the ?power? into the singers and 
give them more freedom to express their emotions, everything will go tremendously 
well.  Robert Schumann claims, ?the less an orchestra is led the higher its standing; 
or, the more an orchestra has to be led the lower the level of its attainment?.
105
 
Therefore, the relationship between conductor and performers should be equal 
and cooperative, or we should say ?colleague? relations.  It is certain that a conductor 
has the right and obligation to present his/her musical ideas and emotions, so do the 
team members.  In Leopold Stokowski?s view,  ?A good conductor is an integral part 
of the orchestra.?
106
 As a result, a good conductor should be regarded as a part of the 
group, not just simply as a leader.   
In order to create a perfect musical performance, it is important for the conductor 
to forget his ego, and try to even ?make friends? with his ensemble members. 
People who are willing to get along with people, make friends easily, and feel 
 
104
 According to the survey, 67% respondents agree that both the conductor and the ensemble should 
take the responsibility if the performance fails. See appendix, question 20, p. 60. 
 
105
 Robert Schumann, ?About Conducting,? The Conductor?s Art,, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: 
McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 64. 
106
 Robert Schumann, ?About Conducting,? The Conductor?s Art, ed. Carl Bamberger (New York: 
McGraw Hill Book Company, 1965), 64. 
 
36
comfortable in the group, have the advantage in being a conductor.
107
 If the 
conductor keeps good friendship with the ensemble members, it can be a positive 
benefit for leading the ensemble. Some of the conductors think they need to keep 
the distance with the ensemble members after the rehearsal because they are 
afraid that the personal friendship may destroy their loftiness and dignity. This 
kind of thinking emphasizes the establishment of the ?professional? image of the 
conductor.  Actually,  
?current practice suggests that you should have a personable relationship 
with your musicians ? professional but not casual or intimate ? in which 
they are treated with respect while you are understood to represent ?expert 
authority?. 
108
 
So the conductor may not only keep the friendship, but also have authority 
without any conflict. As we mentioned before, Patrick Walders? successful example 
with the University of Maryland Men?s Chorus is based on this kind of  personal 
relationship.  
?The musical achievement will be a higher one if the conductor?s moral 
faculties allow him to be ?his brother?s keeper? in relation to be the 
orchestra, rather than its task-master.?
109
 
In making friends with others, we all know it requires our sincerity, sympathy 
and toleration; the same is true for friendship between the conductor and the 
ensemble. As Wagner says, an experienced orchestra, for example like the Dresden 
 
107
 According to the survey, 43% respondents think a personal relationship between the conductor and 
ensemble members will affect the rehearsal. Also, 38% of them think it will be affect positively. See 
appendix, question 16 and 17, p. 60.  
 
108
 Robert W. Demaree and Don V Moses, The Complete Conductor (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 
1995), 97. 
 
109
 Bruno Walter, Of Music and Music-Making. (New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1957), 
123. 
37
orchestra, has a certain ?family feeling.? And ?the family feeling was ready to 
respond to the suggestions of a sympathetic leader?.
 110
 
?Only orchestra musicians have the capacity to judge good and bad 
conducting.?
111
 Unfortunately, although the musicians know who is good and who is 
bad, they rarely let the conductor know what is the good or bad in his conducting. 
What kind of benefit for the conductor is there if he keeps a good relationship with 
his ensemble besides ?making better music?? The answer is ?sincere advice?. If the 
ensemble members think the conductor is their friend, they may tell you what they 
think. After the rehearsal, I always ask the ensemble members to tell me the truth, and 
then I can try to improve my weaknesses. I learn a lot from the ensemble members 
when we discuss conducting privately. In addition to the suggestions from the 
conducting professors, I think it is one of the best and fastest ways to improve my 
conducting.  
This kind of relationship can also help the beginning conductor know the group 
well, especially if he just takes over the ensemble for only several weeks. When 
the young conductor chats with the ensemble members and asks for these kind of 
suggestions, sometimes he will learn something he would not expect at all. They 
may tell him they want him to be more strict because the previous conductor 
treated them like that, and they think he is ?too nice? without showing them ?I am 
the leader?. 
112
 Sometimes the situation will be the total opposite of this. That may 
be a good thing for the young conductor to know and adjust his attitude for this 
 
110
 Richard Wagner, On Conducting. trans. Edward Dannreuther (Michigan: Scholarly Press Inc., 
1976),  72-73. 
 
111
 Charles Munch, I am a conductor, trans. Leonard Burkat (New York: Oxford University Press, 
1955), 62. 
 
112
 Lewis Gordon, Choral Director?s Rehearsal and Performance Guide (West Nyack, New York: 
Parker Publishing Company, 1989), 4. 
38
kind of situation, especially if he has a poor interaction with the ensemble. 
According to the survey, the ensemble think the conductor should communicate 
with them openly, and try to know what they really care about. 
113
 
So the conductor makes friends with the ensemble members with his sincerity, 
and tries his best to understand the needs and feelings. That will make his task 
much easier with this group in the future. 
 
113
 70% respondents think the conductor should communicate with them openly if the interaction is 
poor between the conductor and the ensemble. Also, 27% people think the conductor should keep 
patient and try to do a good job. See Appendix, question 18, p. 60. 
39
Chapter Three 
 
The Inner Control of The Conductor: 
Before the rehearsal, during the rehearsal, after the rehearsal and 
the performance 
Before the Rehearsal:
The Conductor?s Mental ?Warm Ups? 
Each rehearsal is particularly significant and no rehearsal should be wasted.  
Players are not always in excellent condition while rehearsing, but the conductor must 
require himself to be perfect in order to make an efficient rehearsal.  It is certain to be 
stressful if the conductor is inexperienced at leading a group. Peter Fuchs claims: 
?Conducting is often a war of nerves, and even the best musician cannot become a 
successful conductor if his nerves will let him down.?
114
 Therefore, the conductor 
needs to learn how to calm down no matter how intense he feels towards the up-
coming rehearsal. To reduce the anxiety, the only thing the conductor can do is be 
well prepared. Before the rehearsal, besides preparations of music analysis and 
interpretations, the conductor should make sure what does he plan to do and say in 
the ?real? rehearsal but not his ?imaginary? one. The conductor should ask himself: 
?What do you plan to say to the group?  Write out some sample sentences.? ?Do 
you plan to demonstrate any ideas? If so, what and how?? 
115
 These mental 
preparations are just like the ?warm up? for the conductor. 
116
 If he ?warms up? 
himself well, then he can run the rehearsal fluently and with confidence.  
 
114
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 49. 
 
115
 Robert L. Garretson, Conducting Choral Music (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1998), 203. 
 
116
 Lloyd Pfautsch, Mental Warmups for the Choral Director (New York: Lawson-Gould Music 
Publishers, Inc., 1969), 1. 
40
Also, before he goes into the rehearsal room, the conductor?s psychological 
condition should be stable. Assuming that something making the conductor restless or 
bringing out negative emotion happens at the moment before the rehearsal, he must 
immediately calm down before walking into the rehearsal room. No matter what 
happens, and no matter how angry or unhappy he is, he definitely cannot bring in the 
negative emotions, which would affect badly (or even ruin) the rehearsal. However, if 
the conductor is overly excited in anticipation of rehearsal, he needs to cool down 
before rehearsing. 
 
Selections of Repertoire 
Choosing the ?right? music is the first and most important thing for the conductor 
before he starts to rehearse with the ensemble. The conductor needs to know both 
himself and the ensemble well enough that he can make the ?right? decision. 
Unsuitable repertoire may increase the difficulties of the rehearsal and 
performance. If the music is too easy for the ensemble, they may feel bored and 
lose interest. If the music is too difficult, they may feel frustrated. If the music is 
too difficult for the conductor to handle, there is no way for him to rehearse well, 
not to mention for him to ?teach? the ensemble! 
There are several suggestions for choosing the repertoire: 
 Repertoire must be chosen that: 
 
1. You, as a conductor, can effectively teach to your choir; 
2. can be a challenging musical experience to the choir; 
3. can offer an opportunity for the chorister to learn more about choral music;  
4. can be successfully performed.
117
 
117
 Gordon H. Lamb, Choral Techniques (Dubuque, Iowa: WM. C Brown Company Publisher, 1974), 
93. 
 
41
 
Rehearsal Plan: Long Term and Short Term 
 Based on the total number of rehearsals to be held, the conductor sets a schedule 
according to the difficulty of the music.  The music should be rotated throughout 
the period so that every piece or movement will be refreshed as needed before the 
concert.  Pfautsch has suggested that a long piece should be divided into several 
parts, with the most difficult one being tackled first followed by the next most 
difficult part.
118
 Personally, I tend to follow this method because I prefer to devote 
more rehearsals on the most difficult part.  The most difficult part is accompanied 
by the easier parts in order to avoid frustration. In addition, it is necessary to 
prepare a timetable for each individual rehearsal to ensure good control of the use 
of time and a smooth flow of the practices.  In general, at the beginning of each 
rehearsal since the members are in their better mental and physical states, it is 
desirable to practice those parts that would require more focused efforts. Many 
professors have suggested that before ending the rehearsal, the conductor should 
go over all the pieces practiced in the session, and possibly including another 
familiar piece from a previous session.  This will not only provide a chance to 
refresh all the songs but also help make the members feel a sense of satisfaction 
and accomplishment. In the case of rehearsing an orchestra, sometimes there may 
be only a few rehearsals of a very long piece.  The conductor should first note the 
time needed to go over the entire piece, and then subtract the time from the total 
rehearsal time.  The remaining time is carefully allocated for correcting errors and 
improving music quality. When rehearsing a long piece, if the conductor spends 
too much time on particular portions or segments, depriving the group the 
 
118
 Lloid Pfautsch, ?The Choral Conductor and the Rehearsal,? Choral Conducting- A Symposium, ed. 
Harold A. Decker and Julius Herford (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1973), 72. 
 
42
opportunity to play the complete piece once before the concert, the members will 
feel a great sense of insecurity.  Thus, young or inexperienced conductors or 
students must learn to form a habit of setting up an appropriate timetable to train 
themselves to be well organized and coordinated conductors.  
 
During the Rehearsal 
Teaching Sequence and Goals 
Even in leading adult ensembles, orderly teaching steps are necessary.  This is 
especially true with choruses because the singers usually need more help than 
instrumental players.  The conductor needs to have well ordered procedures during 
the rehearsal, trying to accomplish one thing at a time. If the conductor tries to 
accomplish too many things at once, the ensemble members will feel confused and 
have difficulty in following him.  For example, the conductor should not ask the 
ensemble to make phrasing or dynamics before they can sing the right notes and 
rhythm. Lacking the right order, it just wastes the rehearsal time and everyone?s 
effort. Without feeling any improvement, the ensemble members will feel frustrated 
and not have high expectations for the next rehearsal. So the conductor needs to make 
a reasonable rehearsal plan, for example, ask for musical qualities after they know 
how to sing the correct notes with correct rhythm.  In this way, the ensemble 
members will know what they have achieved, and what is the task in the next 
rehearsal. This ensures that the members will have a solid sense of accomplishment. 
 
43
Attracting the Musicians? Attention:  
One of the conductor?s tasks is let all the musicians pay attention to him 
during the whole rehearsal. The conductor can use some skills to attract the ensemble 
right away while they walk into the rehearsal room. For example, the conductor can 
?give his performers a calendar that shows them what to expect to do on a particular 
day, or write down the names and works he plans to rehearse on the blackboard each 
rehearsal? 
119
 The conductor can also play the music on the piano he wants to 
rehearse today. When the singers walk in and hear the music, they can feel and read 
the music, and set up the psychological preparation for the rehearsal.  
During the rehearsal, it is not difficult to keep their attention if the conductor 
employs some simple efficient practices or procedures.  For example, the conductor 
may ask them some questions, and ask them to answer, such as ?Do you understand 
it?? ?Yes,? or ?I do.?  And if the conductor wants the musicians to pay a lot of 
attention to him, he needs to ?keep pushing,?
120
 and force them to concentrate all the 
time. For example:  
Learn to speak exactly to the point. As quickly as you finish a cutoff, say 
quickly, ?Again! And listen for the oboe this time. Bar 112!? Freeze just a 
split second to let them find the place, and give them the ?prep? beat.?  
?The authors believe even school ensembles can be essentially free of 
behaviored problems providing the work atmosphere is kept as intense and 
productive as it should be?. 
121
 
119
 Robert W. Demaree and Don V Moses, The Complete Conductor (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 
1995), 126. 
 
120
 Robert W. Demaree and Don V Moses, The Complete Conductor (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 
1995), 418.  
 
121
 Robert W. Demaree and Don V Moses, The Complete Conductor (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 
1995), 418. 
 
44
Of course, the conductor himself must be concentrated while rehearsing.  If 
not, he will easily make mistakes, and players will lose their attention because of the 
conductor?s absence of mind.  At the same, the conductor needs to show how eager 
he wants to make ?good? music and absolutely insist on what he wishes to present.  
Sometimes things may not be so smooth in the rehearsal, but he has to persevere.
122
 
The ensemble members will gradually lose their faith towards themselves if the 
conductor just simply gives up when the performers encounter any difficulties.
123
 
We can also consider the helpful suggestions made by Max Rudolf:
 124
 
(1) Before interrupting be sure of what you are going to say. 
(2) Educate your orchestra so that everyone stops right at your signal and then observes silence. 
(3) Never say ?Once more? after interrupting without giving a good reason, unless things have gone 
wrong to such an extent that the necessity for repeating is obvious. 
(4) Do not discuss musical details without being sure that the players have turned to the right page 
and know exactly what you are talking about.  
(5) Once you have begun working on a passage you must persist until improvement is noticeable, 
unless a player is not capable of coping with a particular problem because of technical limitations.  
(6) After proper announcement, resume the music as soon as practicable, and without lingering. 
(7) Spoken comments while the musicians are playing should be used sparingly by the conductor. 
 
What Max Rudolf suggests can make the rehearsal process smoother and 
more efficient without a waste of rehearsal time. It can also serve as a reassurance to 
the players.  One friend told me he really hated it when the conductor raised his hands 
as if he was getting ready to conduct, so my friend hurried up to get in position to 
play (he is a double bass player); but the next second the conductor started to talk! It 
made him feel somewhat as if he was being fooled.  Although it is just a minor bad 
habit of the conductor, it can cause the ensemble members to be less tolerant if it 
happens too often. 
122
 40% respondents never trust a conductor who ?changes his mind constantly.? See appendix, 
question 13, p. 59. 
 
123
 78% respondents think that the conductor should ?point out the mistakes directly and repeat the 
passage until it is fixed.? See question 4, p. 58. 
 
124
 Max Rudolf, The Grammar of Conducting (New York: Macmillian Publishing Co., Inc., 1969), 
387-388. 
45
To help performers as precisely as possible, the conductor must be familiar 
with each instrument and its characteristics, as we know, and truly understand what 
sort of techniques will challenge the musicians.  In a chorus the conductor should 
inspire singers with rich, diverse imagination.  As I mentioned before, even mild 
timbre change can be made by means of presenting different emotions and inner 
psychophysical activity.  To conduct instrumentalists, however, requires a different 
approach.    Assuming that a lighter tone in strings is requested, for instance, it will be 
more articulate and easier for the conductor to say directly how to perform, such as 
?off the string, middle?
 125
 than describe it by using an excess of words.    
Breathing is the most important skill for woodwind and brass players; so, a 
slight emotional change can affect their performing and even their breathing.  
Besides, there are various skills of breathing and attack suitable to different 
instruments, from flutes to trombones; thus the conductor should not conduct with the 
same gesture when assisting players with different needs.
 126
 
Closing the Rehearsal:  
Every conductor should try to end the rehearsal on time. But before everyone 
leaves the rehearsal room, the conductor can use the last minutes to ?say 
something? as a conclusion for the rehearsal. For example, the conductor can 
validate what has been done today in an encouraging manner, and let the 
ensemble know what the plan is for the next rehearsal.  
 
125
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 38. 
 
126
 Charles Munch, I am a conductor, trans. Leonard Burkat (New York: Oxford University Press, 
1955), 29. 
 
46
After the Rehearsal: 
The time for the young conductor to evaluate himself is right after each 
rehearsal when he still remembers every detail. The conductor can recall what he 
said, his attitude and the performers? reaction, such as ?Is my approach working? Is it 
slightly out of balance? Do I need to be more firm? More quiet in manner and tone? 
More patient? More precise in my request??
127
 The conductor needs to find out the 
problems, no matter whether the problems are caused by himself or the performers, 
then improve for the next rehearsal. It is useful for the conductor to be a little picky 
with himself. The more mistakes he finds, the more refinement he will have in the 
future. It will also be helpful to develop a pattern of rehearsal after the conductor has 
enough cumulative experiences. Then he can make a suitable rehearsal plan and style 
for this group, and refine his own rehearsal style.                             
 
In the Performance 
A young but experienced violinist in the orchestra told me that the conductor 
should conduct in different ways for rehearsal and concert. Peter Fuchs states his 
opinion about this issue:  
?How significant this spark should be will largely depend on the 
conductor?s personality. One conductor will give everything he has to give 
during the rehearsal. He will prepare his concert down to the smallest 
expressive detail, including the fullest extent of all the emotional peaks, so 
that the concert will essentially be an exact repetition of the dress 
rehearsal. Another will rehearse the orchestra most meticulously, but will 
quite purposely limit the giving of emotional resources, in order to have an 
element of surprise left in the performance.?
128
 
However, it depends on what the conductor and players think about, relating 
to the conductor?s personality and players? characteristics. The element of surprise 
 
127
 Robert W. Demaree and Don V Moses, The Complete Conductor (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 
1995), 97. 
 
128
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 68. 
47
from the conductor may confuse or even scare players.  It is certain, however, that 
most of conductors will be much more focused in the concert than in the rehearsal, so 
that the expression and gesture may be more exaggerated than they usually were in 
rehearsal.  For example, in a concert, I got the impression that the conductor was so 
excited that his face was totally distorted at the allargando segment towards the end 
of music. Being terrified and not sure how to react, I couldn?t help myself. I stopped 
singing because I had never seen such a terrible facial expression in my life. The real 
problem was that the music was very joyous but the conductor?s face looked very 
angry.  
I can recall another example from my previous teacher Dr. Cutter, who used 
to sing in a professional chorus in Boston.  He described that their conductor on stage 
was so involved with the music that the singers were nervous, worrying something 
out of control would happened.  The piece they performed was really difficult, and 
needed the conductor to be in control of the whole picture.  When the conductor was 
too emotional, he not only had the risk of loss of control of the music, but also caused 
unease in the group.  Therefore, the conductor needs to keep reason and emotion in a 
perfect balance while performing in a concert.  It is a reminder that too much 
emotional involvement will lose the acute sensibility of any kinds of feelings.    
At the opening of the performances, when the conductor first bows to the 
audience, he ought to keep a pleasant, relaxed smile on his face.  This will help ease 
the tensions for those members, also remind them to have a nice smile on their faces 
as well. During the performance, the conductor ought to show his devotion to the 
music to lead his members but keep certain degree of coolness inside him to avoid 
making mistakes. Peter Fuchs stated the following important point: 
?The conductor should focus on the orchestra and not the audience? Now 
the conductor?s task is to keep things technically well under control, to 
indicate the correct tempi and tempo changes, to maintain the proper 
48
balance by making adjustment where they are needed, to give the 
necessary cues, and most of all, to furnish the inspiration through gestures 
and expressions that will draw the best efforts from the musicians?.
129
 
This is the so-called ?combination of logic and emotions.?
130
 If the conductor 
is too cool, it is hard to get the members? to be emotionally responsive to the music.  
If the conductor is too emotional, it is easy to loose control or harder for members to 
concentrate.  Furthermore, the conductor needs to keep a positive attitude even if a 
member makes a mistake at the very beginning. He ought to look forward to the next 
second and not be mad or regret what mistake this member has just made. If not, ?a 
few minutes later, he himself may make a stupid mistake!?
131
 
129
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 74. 
 
130
 According to the survey, 53% respondents think the most ideal emotional condition for the 
conductor while performing, is ?50% calm and 50% of emotional involvement.? See appendix, 
question 19, p. 60. 
 
131
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 74. 
 
49
 
Correcting Tempo, Tone Color, and Pitch through the Use of 
Psychology 
The practical use of the psychology can be explained through musical 
examples I have chosen. They are: Magnificat by Arvo P?rt, Work Song by Hsin-
Jung Tsai, Lobet den Herrn by J. S. Bach, and Os Justi by Anton Bruckner. I have 
chosen one further the example, the Libera Me from the Requiem by Maurice 
Durufl?, to demonstrate the application of psychological considerations in a detailed 
rehearsal plan.   
Magnificat by Arvo P?rt has many challenging for a college choir (Music 
example A). The first challenge is the sustained C and it is not easy to keep the same 
pitch with different vowels. The second challenge is that the whole piece needs a kind 
of flowing feeling. If not, it is easy for it to become boring and stagnant. When the 
young college singers sing without having the sense of ?making music? and ?making 
direction,? no matter how the conductor explains it, they just drag without moving. 
When the choir is always behind the conductor, it is better to find out the real 
psychological problems rather than just say ?you guys are behind me, watch me!? Of 
course, sometimes you can say that and get what you want, but not every time. In this 
case, I found that when the singers stand or sit in sections, they rely on other singers 
of their section without taking their own responsibility, especially when they aren?t 
100 % confident with the music. So when the conductor says: ?mixed?, and they go 
and mix, the problem is solved right away.  The tone is beautiful and the music is 
flowing! 
Another example comes from a Taiwanese tribal song - Work Song (Music 
example B). The sopranos were struggling with their melody. The melody is not what 
50
they are familiar with, and the rhythm is a little tricky. The sopranos, as in the 
Magnificat, relied on others too much. Everybody waited for each other. And also, 
they sang without feeling the beauty of the melody. So I then said: ?Sopranos, make a 
circle please. I won?t conduct you now.? When the sopranos made a circle, looked at 
each other, and sang by themselves, it was amazing. Without the conductor, they 
needed to use body language to show the breathing. They listened, and ?lead? each 
other. They sang very well with the right tempo, much better rhythm, and also sang it 
musically with beautiful tone.  
The conductor needs to know when he should let the performers have a sense 
of security from him, but sometimes he needs to figure out the psychological problem 
of the performers, then solve it. For example, at the beginning of the Magnificat, the 
conductor needs to give a very clear preparation in order to lead the singers? 
breathing. If the gesture of preparation is not clear enough, each singer will interpret 
it differently and then breathe at a different moment.
132
 If they don?t breathe together, 
they won?t sing the first note together. This problem can be solved by the conductor 
himself, not the singers. But in the two examples mentioned above, the conductor 
knows the singers? fears and their dependent mentality, so breaking up the sections 
forces each singer to be independent and responsible.  
One more example is taken from Lobet den Herrn composed by J. S. Bach 
(Music example C). In this work, there is much coloratura singing that is conceived 
instrumentally, not vocally. The college singers were so busy trying to sing every 
note well, that they sang behind the conductor all the time. When they felt tense, they 
couldn?t watch the conductor and listen to each other. So the conductor asked: ?What 
is the right emotion when we sing this piece?? The singers read the English 
 
132
 Peter Paul Fuchs, Psychology of Conducting (New York, MCA Inc., 1969), 45. 
 
51
translation of the text, and answered: ?Joyful!? The conductor said: ?That?s right! 
Let?s sing it joyfully!? With the joyful feeling, they relaxed and sang it with right 
tempo and better tone! 
This is evidence that emotions can affect the sound, which we discussed 
before. For young singers, they need to change their natural sound if the music 
requires mature or dark color. The conductor needs to lead singers? imaginations. For 
example, let them imagine that they are ten or twenty years older than they are, or 
increase fifty more pounds on their weight. The imagination can help a lot for the 
color change and to set up the mood of the music.    
Vowels can be problems also. Singers tend to sing flat especially with ?U? and 
?i? without having enough pharyngeal space. Let?s take Bruckner?s Os justi as an 
example (Music example D). When the music reaches bar 39 and builds up the first 
climax in this piece, the pitch can be flat from bar 39 and not bright enough for the 
fortissimo of bar 40 and 41. It is because the vowels change from ?U?, which can be 
easily sung without enough space, then ?u?, and the ?i?, which is the closed vowel 
again at bar 41. The conductor can let the choir sing from bar 39 with ?a? vowel, 
which makes it easier to create more space and forward direction. Let the singers feel 
the space, color and direction, then use the same feeling when they sing ?U?, ?u?, then 
?i?. It will be more specific for the singers, and better than to just tell them, ?Sing 
higher,? or play the pitch on the piano.  The conductor can make warm ups by using 
different vowels, for example, sing the same pitch with ?a-e-i-o-u,? remind singers to 
keep the same space and direction for the beginning ?a? vowel when they change to 
other vowels. The conductor can also let singers sing vowels only without consonants 
during the rehearsal, and make sure singers remain aware of this problem.   
52
The conductor?s gesture can help the singers a lot about the intonation. If the 
conductor feels the pitch is flat, he can make an upward gesture, kind of holding the 
sound up, then the singers receive the hint and sing higher. It can also apply to the 
orchestra conductor. I remember I went to a concert performed by a college orchestra. 
There were two fermatas in the music. The first time was for the horn solo and the 
second time for the trombone solo. At the first time, the horn kept the right pitch but 
glided down before it finished. At that moment I thought: ?It is the horn player?s 
problem, he should hold the pitch all the way through!? But the trombone player did 
the same thing also. I was aware that it was the conductor?s problem. His gesture 
stopped when the players held the long note, which is fine; but before he cut off, he 
used a downward semi circle, and then cut them off. The players? pitch glided down 
right with his downward gesture. The performers did what they saw, so the conductor 
has to be sensitive about his own gesture.   
The conductor?s posture is also important:  
?For conductors, good posture is not just a goal in itself. The purpose 
behind every physical act is effective and efficient communication, and 
anything that detracts from clear and accurate communication is a fault?. 
133
 
Conductors need a relaxed upper torso, in terms of shoulder, fingers, chin and 
neck. The conductor should move their arms and legs freely and naturally. If the 
conductor can do all of the above, that means: ?he can conduct with maximum 
effectiveness, alerts the singers that he is ready to begin, and sets an example for 
them to also assume proper posture for singing?.
134
 Also, whether for singers or 
players, if they see the conductor stand and conduct in a good posture, they will feel 
 
133
 Robert W. Demaree and Don V Moses, The Complete Conductor (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 
1995), 13. 
 
134
 Lewis Gordon, Choral Director?s Rehearsal and Performance Guide (West Nyack, New York: 
Parker Publishing Company, 1989), 65. 
 
53
comfortable when they watch and play with the same relaxation, especially for the 
lyrical and expressive melodic lines. The conductor can demonstrate for the 
performers effectively without saying a word.  
Rehearsal Planning and Progress:  
Repertoire: Durufl? Requiem 3
rd
 movement, Libera me (Music example E) 
Rehearsal time: 50 minutes 
Group: College choir 
The conductor needs to introduce this piece to the choir before he starts the 
rehearsal. Most people know the Faur? Requiem but not the one by Durufl??s. If 
the conductor lets the choir know some things about the music and the composer, 
that can be a great help. The conductor can tell the choir about the background of 
the composer, who was a great organist; and the basic element of the music, 
which is Gregorian chant.  
This movement can be divided into five parts: beginning to rehearsal 84, rehearsal 
85 to 87, rehearsal 88 to 92, rehearsal 93 to 94, and rehearsal 95 to the end. In this 
movement, its beginning and ending are written on the same melodic idea, so the 
conductor can rehearse those two parts first, rather than rehearse from beginning 
through the end. Although those two parts have the same melodic idea, it is better 
if the conductor lets the chorus sing the ending part first.  There are three reasons. 
First, most of the ending part is in unison, so it is easier for the conductor to 
introduce the melody to everyone.  Second, the tempo stays steady all the time in 
the last part. Third, the harmonic progression remains in f sharp minor, unlike the 
ambiguous key changes in the beginning. If the conductor starts right in the 
beginning, the chorus will have challenges among pitches, rhythms and the 
establishment of the modulations. After the chorus gets the idea of the first main 
54
melody from the last part (the second main melody is ?Dies irae? in rehearsal 88), 
it is easier for them to hear and understand the first part. Thus, beginning with a 
reasonable challenge, the singers experience immediate success and are more 
positively disposed torward the work and the working relationship with the 
conductor. 
So the conductor decides to rehearse the last part first. Because it stays in f 
sharp minor, the conductor lets chorus sing with solfege. If the choir isn?t familiar 
with minor keys, the conductor needs to establish the feeling of the minor mode 
during the warm ups, with the both natural and harmonic minor scales because of 
the e sharp that sounds 5 bars before 98. If the choir sings with solfege and knows the 
notes, rhythm and pitch well, then the conductor can let them go back to the very 
beginning of this movement.  
In the first part of this movement, as we said before, it is not easy to get the 
ambiguous keys right away. To avoid confusion, the conductor can choose any kind 
of syllables instead of using solfege. The conductor can let everybody sing together 
rather than rehearse the basses alone and have the other parts wait in the first ten bars. 
The reason to let everybody be involved in these ten bars is to keep the singers? 
interest and attention during the whole rehearsal:  
?Discipline problems may be lessened considerably if you strive to 
maintain the group?s interest all the time and of you stress the importance 
of using all the rehearsal time to the group?s best advantage. In achieving 
this objective, you may use the following procedures alternately. First, 
while one part is being rehearsed, the other singers should be asked to 
study their part and listen to it in relation to the other parts. Second, all 
singers might be asked to sing a troublesome part in unison. This 
procedure also has value in developing an awareness of the relationships 
between parts. Third, request the choir members to hum their own parts 
softly while the troublesome part is being rehearsed.? 
135
 
135
 Robert L. Garretson, Conducting Choral Music (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 
Inc., 1998), 207.  
55
The choir may not get the C natural, B flat and E flat four bars before 82. The 
conductor can play a second version of A minor triad than the first version of E flat 
major triad, and let the choir sings ?E-A-C natural? and ?G natural-B flat- E flat? 
separately in order to establish the chord changes, then connect those two chords. 
After the choir can find the E flat without struggle, then let them sing the following 
downward scale.  The conductor can let everybody jump up to the pick up the first 
three notes of the tenor line at rehearsal 82, then jump back to the bass line in order to 
get the bass line firm and find the first note of next phrase. This way allows the 
basses to know the relationship of their line with the tenor line, and also find their 
first note of each phrase easily.   
So far, we may already have spent 15 to 20 minutes of the rehearsal. In order 
to let some people get a little rest for their voices, we now rehearse each section 
individually. From rehearsal 82, let the tenors sing by themselves. Before they sing, 
tell them they will need to jump up to the alto line from pick up to rehearsal 83. After 
the first 3 notes of rehearsal 83, they jump back to their part. Also, remind both tenors 
and altos that the D flat and C sharp is the same note and circle those two notes. 
There will be another problem for tenors, which is the D of 3 bars before 84. Remind 
them to listen to the basses, which sing the C, the D is just one step higher than that. 
After the conductor explains, then the tenors start to sing- it will let the rehearsal 
process be smoother, and also let the singers know what they are going to do without 
any confusion. Let the tenors sing from rehearsal 82 to 2 bars after rehearsal 84, and 
fix some pitch problems like A sharp ? E- A natural at 3 bars after rehearsal 83. After 
the tenors are done, the altos sing from rehearsal 83, then the sopranos.  
Now, it seems that each section knows their notes. Before the conductor lets 
everyone sing from the beginning to the end of the first part, there is one more 
56
thing to do, which is to communicate the ambiguous keys change. In order to let 
the choir get the ?sound,? the conductor says: ?Now, I want to play the whole 
melody of this part, which begins from basses, tenors take over at rehearsal 82, 
then altos at rehearsal 83, finally sopranos at molto animanto?. The conductor 
plays the melody on his right hand, and the chords on the left hand, and says: ?we 
are in the F sharp minor from the beginning, then A minor triad (rehearsal 81), the 
C major triad (second bar of 81), and E flat (third bar of 81).? ?Then we have 
diminished triad on G at rehearsal 82, b flat minor triad (third bar of 82), G flat 
major triad?. ?Rehearsal 83, the first chord is F sharp major triad, which is the 
enharmonic key of G flat, then A major triad (second bar of 83), F sharp major 
triad, (third bar), A major triad (fourth bar), E minor triad, then A major triad 
again, then finally we reach the C major right on the Animato, and one more, the 
E flat major triad at rehearsal 84?. The conductor plays the condensed progression 
of the chords: F sharp minor triad ? A minor triad ? C major triad- E flat major 
triad ? G diminished triad ? B flat minor triad ? G flat (F sharp) major triad ? A 
major triad ? C major triad ? E flat major triad. The conductor says: ?Those 
chords are in third relationship, and get higher and higher each time?. After the 
conductor explains make the sound of the modulation, it will allow the singers 
sing with the collect harmonic sense.     
Now, everybody sings his own section from the beginning to rehearsal 84 without 
tempo change. The conductor just wants to make sure every section can find their 
entry and notes, and changes the key easily. Then the conductor lets everyone 
look at the score, and explains the tempo change: ?When the altos enter, the 
tempo becomes faster. When the sopranos enter, tempo becomes even faster. The 
tempo in the beginning is quarter note equal to 66, but when we arrive Animato, 
57
the tempo is quarter notes equal to 126, which is almost twice as fast.? The choir 
is now aware of that. When they sing with the tempo change at the first time, the 
conductor needs to say ?watch? or ?now? to remind the choir during their singing. 
There are only several minutes left; the conductor decides to let everyone go back 
to the last part, which they practiced in the beginning of the rehearsal. Compared 
to the first part, this part is much easier. The choir sings without effort and ends 
the rehearsal with a sense of achievement. 
 
Conclusion 
Through these three musical examples and the rehearsal plan, we have shown the 
different varieties of the psychological effect. For the conductor, if he knows his 
ensemble well enough, it is not so difficult for him to make a rehearsal plan with 
imagination, and he is able to articulate the possible difficulties the ensemble may 
encounter. More importantly, the conductor should really open his eyes to observe 
the ensemble?s facial expression, open his ears to hear the sound the ensemble 
makes, and open his mind during the whole rehearsal in order to sense the 
ensemble?s reactions and their psychological changes. The conductor should be 
sensitive enough and be able to ?read? the ensemble?s mentality. Then he can 
handle and solve any kind of problems or difficulties with good flexibility by 
using suitable rehearsal skills for any situation. In order to achieve this goal, as 
discussed in this paper, the conductor?s sympathy, patience, encouraging manner, 
and knowledge of the ensemble members are the greatest tools for helping the 
conductor to ?read? and ?feel? his ensemble. For a conductor, the ensemble 
58
should be his first concern, followed by his own conducting skill or rehearsal 
technique. The ensemble will ?feel? the conductor?s care, and they will respond 
with their most beautiful sound. 
 
59
Appendix: Questionnaire for the ensemble and the results
Total number of survey: 153 (April 1
st
, 2005)
General Information:  
1. Gender:  
(1). Male (42%) 
(2). Female(58%)  
 
2. Age:   
(1). 16-20 (36%) 
(2). 21-25 (34%)  
(3). 25-30 (6%)  
(4). 31-35 (4%)  
 
3. Nationality:  
(1). American (93%)  
(2). Taiwan(5%)  
(3). Korean (1%)  
(4). Others (1%) 
 
4. How long have you been in an orchestra or a chorus:  
(1). 5-10 years (42%) 
(2). 11-15 years (33%) 
(3). 16-20 years (9%) 
(4). 21-25 years (3%) 
(5). Over 25 years (13%) 
 
5. (Multiple choice) What sort(s) of group(s) are you participating in now?  
(1). College choir (77%)  
(2). College orchestra (23%)  
 
6. How many conductor(s) have you worked with? 
(1). 1 (2%) 
(2). 2 (1%)  
(3). 3 (4%)  
(4). 4 (5%) 
(5). 5 (1%)  
(6). More than 5 (87%) 
 
7. Do you think the emotional self-control is an important issue for a conductor?  
(1). Not at all (2%) 
(2). Rather (15%)  
(3). Yes (76%)  
(4). Not sure (6%)  
 
60
 
Assuming the conductor has excellent musicality and musicianship: 
 
1. What are the three most important characteristics for the ideal conductor to 
possess?      
(1). Authority (17%) 
(2). Confidence (21%) 
(3). Efficiency (17%) 
(4). Enthusiasm (26%) 
(5). Organization (14%) 
(6). Persuasiveness (5%) 
 
2. If a conductor has excellent musicality and musicianship, but does not possess the 
three of the most important characteristics you have identified, how eager are you to 
work with them?    
(1). Very (2%)  
(2). Somewhat (47%)  
(3). Little (37%)  
(4). Not at all (14%) 
 
3. What kind of conductor do you enjoy working with the most?  
(1). Relaxed (15%)          Intense (20%) 
(2). Quiet (1%)                Talkative (6%) 
(3). Critical (6%)             Encouraging (31%) 
(4). Friendly (21%)          Reserved (0%) 
 
4. How should a conductor react to mistakes in the ensemble?  
(1). Repeat the passage (9%) 
(2). Point out the mistakes directly and move on to the next passage of music 
(13%) 
(3). Point out the mistakes and repeat the passage until it is fixed (78%) 
(4). Ignore the mistakes and go on (0%) 
 
5. How should a conductor react to his/her own mistakes?  
(1). Ignore them (1%) 
(2). Admit them and apologize (22%) 
(3). Deny them (0%) 
(4). Admit them and try to improve (77%) 
 
6. What will you do if you don?t like this conductor? (Two Choices)  
(1). Ignore whatever the conductor says (0%) 
(2). Never look at the conductor (2%) 
(3). Contradict the conductor (0%) 
(4). Chat with other members during rehearsal (3%) 
(5). Be indifferent (16%) 
(6). Quit (11%) 
(7). Criticize the conductor privately, but not in rehearsal and will not say 
anything as rehearsing (31%) 
(8). Doesn?t matter, just focus on the music (37%)     
 
61
 
7. If the rehearsal is not going smoothly and the conductor loses his temper, what 
kind of an emotional response can you accept? (No more than three choices)  
(1). Loud yelling (11%) 
(2). Throwing the music in anger (1%) 
(3). The conductor walks out (6%) 
(4). The conductor gives a long speech (24%) 
(5). The conductor has an angry facial expression (22%) 
(6). Expresses frustration with a sign (14%) 
(7). Speaks sarcastically to the ensemble (6%) 
(8). Weeps (2%)   
(9). None of above is acceptable (14%) 
 
8. Do you judge a conductor by gender?   
(1). Yes (4%) 
(2). No (80%)  
(3). Somewhat (16%) 
 
9. Do you judge a conductor by the nationality?      
(1). Yes (5%)  
(2). No (84%) 
(3). Somewhat (11%) 
 
10.  Do you judge a conductor by his command of the English language? 
(1). Yes (22%)  
(2). No (38%) 
(3). Somewhat (40%) 
 
11. Do you have a different attitude for an assistant conductor as opposed as regular 
conductor?  
(1). Yes (28%) 
(2). No (35%) 
(3). Somewhat (37%) 
 
12.  How long does it take to acclimatize you to a new conductor?  
(1). Within a month (72%) 
(2). 1-2 months (19%) 
(3). 2-3 months (8%) 
(4). 3-4 months (0.5%) 
(5). Over 4 months (0.5%) 
 
13.  What kind of conductor will you never trust? (One choice ONLY)  
(1). One who is impatient (6%) 
(2). One who changes his mind constantly (40%)  
(3). One who is poorly organized or inefficient (30%) 
(4). One who has no emotional self-control (24%)  
 
14. Do you think the conductor will compromise their professionalism if they 
acknowledge their mistakes?  
(1). Yes (5%) 
62
(2). No (90%) 
(3). Somewhat (5%)  
15.  Do you think it is necessary that the conductor and players/singers have personal 
friendship?  
(1). Very necessary (13%) 
(2). No (47%) 
(3). May be necessary (33%) 
(4). Not sure (7%)  
 
16. Do you think a personal relationship between the conductor and ensemble 
members will affect the rehearsal?   
(1). Yes (43%) 
(2). No (22%) 
(3). Somewhat (35%) 
 
17.  If the personal relationship does affect the rehearsal, how does it affect it?  
(1). Positive (38% 
(2). Negative (16%) 
(3). Not sure yet (46%) 
 
18.  What do you think conductors should do if there is a poor interaction between 
them and the ensemble?  
(1). Keep patient and try to do a good job (27%) 
(2). Quit (2%) 
(3). Communicate with the ensemble openly (71%) 
(4). Pretend nothing is happening (0%)  
 
19. In your opinion, which is the most ideal emotional condition for the conductor 
while performing?   
(1). Completely calm (2%) 
(2). 80% calm and 20% of emotional involvement (16%) 
(3). 50%calm and 50% of emotional involvement (53%) 
(4). 20% calm and 80% of emotional involvement (22%) 
(5). 100% of emotional involvement (7%) 
 
20.  In your opinion, who should take the primary responsibility if the performance 
fails?    
(1). The conductor (9%)  
(2). The ensemble (0%) 
(3). Both the conductor and the ensemble (67%)  
(4). Do not assign responsibility (24%)  
 
21.  Assuming the conductor has to play three different roles, a leader, a teacher, and 
a friend, in front of players/singers, which do you consider as important? (Multiple 
choice allowed)     
(1). A leader (46%)   
(2). A teacher (43%) 
(3). A friend (11%)  
 
63
 
22.  What is (are) the motivation(s) that make(s) you join the orchestra or chorus, 
except for financial consideration, time, and location?    
(1). The conductor (25%)  
(2). The interaction of players/members (24%)  
(3). The music (50%) 
(4). Doesn?t matter (1%)  
 
64
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