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Conducting During COVID: What is possible and how has the role of the conductor changed?
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mitted their first recordings, and and more resources to help them clusion and a welcoming rehearsal

these were evaluated anonymously succeed, and it also lessens the bur- climate, cultural and stylistic under-
by their peers using a rubric. Addi- den of creating performance proj- standing) the experience of coach-
tional resources were provided for ects because more time is spent on ing a conductor as they rehearse a
further success, including individu- teaching and improving as an en- live ensemble is diffi cult to replicate,
alized guide tracks with real singers semble and individual. 17 and even if possible, is substantially

(who were particularly successful different from an in-person experi-
in the first round), and the singers ence. While responding to the mo-

recorded again, trying to incorpo- T raining Conductors ment that we are currently working
rate the feedback of their peers. For In training early-career conduc- in is important, we must continue to
the second recording, each singer tors during this pandemic, what educate conductors for their future
received individualized feedback do we need to teach them? Should roles when singing returns to nor-
from the director, and for the fi - we incorporate our new hyper-tech mal. If nothing else, the COVID
nal recording, had the opportunity focused circumstances into the cur- crisis makes clear that training con-
to record with a guide track aug- riculum, and if so, how will con- ductors to be adaptive and inde-
mented by a full set of eight singers ductors trained during this period pendent musicians is just as import-
roughly edited together to provide be able to handle the challenges of ant as it has always been, and even
the experience of singing with a in-person rehearsals when we re- more important when responding
real ensemble (Table 3). turn to normal? to a global crisis.
This approach encourages the Certainly one of the key compo- In individual conducting lessons,
“perform, evaluate, perform again” nents to conducting is facilitating the creating pre-recorded videos (either
model of rehearsal, albeit over a development of the conductor-en- to create a virtual choir project or
much longer period of time than semble relationship. While many of for the teacher or an accompanist
singers are used to. It particularly the other topics of conducting eas- to respond to) can simulate the ex-
meets the challenges of welcom- ily adapt to online instruction (e.g., perience of conducting an ensem-
ing lesser-skilled singers into these rehearsal planning, repertoire selec- ble. It also gives the instructor the
projects as they are given more time tion, vocal technique, fostering in- opportunity to watch and rewind in

Table 3. The Rehearsal Process for a Virtual Choir

Recording 1 Recording 2 Recording 3

Peer Director Final
Evaluation Evaluation Project

CHORAL JOURNAL April 2021 Volume 61 Number 9 71