Conducting

To prepare for conducting the band I did a number of things. First I listened to several versions of the song so that I would be ready to anticipate what was coming. That was mostly extra since the Star-Spangled Banner is such a recognizable tune. Then I looked at my own copy and marked certain dynamics that I wanted to hear. For instance in the second "lights last gleaming" I wanted to slow down so I marked it in my own copy to remember to cue the band. I also wanted to speed up section C. Next I practiced my entrances and cutoffs so they would be clear and concise.

Next I looked through the piece to find areas that might be troubling. The obvious part is the fanfare, since the band hadn't practiced that very often. So it was my responsibility to know how I was going to conduct to make it easier for them. You're only as good as the person telling you what to do.

Now comes the time for the rehearsal, and it will be time to put all my practicing and preparation to work. First and foremost I will show up on time to start the rehearsal on the right foot. Then I will briefly explain the changes I mentioned earlier, so they'll know to watch for them. Then I'll run through the piece once to listen for trouble spots. I imagine I'll need to do the fanfare at least once again since it's so new. Unless they happen to not need any help in which case I'll simply move on. I anticipate that I'll be extremely nervous so there's a very good possibility I might need to run the piece again so I have a better feel for it, because no matter how much you prepare you can't prepare for extreme nerves. Even though I don't think it will happen, should the band happen to have difficulty I will remain positive so I don't affect the attitude of the band. If they get negative it will only make the rehearsal that much more difficult. However I won't just be a rug, if they do make a mistake I'll call it out, fix it, and move on. Finally I'll end the rehearsal once I feel we've done the piece as well as possible I will congratulate them and thank them for their time.