Zachary Gates CR 215 9/5/12 A good choral conductor must be a master technician, artist, engineer, listener, communicator, and

musician. In more words, a choral conductor must be everything that his choir expects of him and more. Im going to break it into physical leading, authoritative leading, artistic leading, and emotional leading. In terms of physical leading, a good conductor must always keep a steady beat, be accurate and clear on the downbeat, clear accents, have precise and concise cues and cutoffs, as well as solid preparations in the beat. These are the standard skills a choir would expect their conductor to have to physically lead them. But what the choir doesnt specifically expects, but benefits incredibly from, is a conductor with strong posture and strong eye contact. Not to mention good breathing with the choir and accurate display of emotion tied to the piece while conducting. In terms of authoritative leading, a good conductor is organized and well acquainted with every note that is in the piece they are singing. A good conductor anticipates certain problem areas in a piece and thinks of ways to fix them. He or she also conducts a rehearsal with efficiency and direction. In terms of artistic leading, a good conductor must make appropriate interpretations of text, expressed tempo, inflection, dynamic markings, swells, and articulation. A great conductor should allow and guide his (more advanced) choir to take ownership of some of these choices. And in terms of emotional leading, music, both solo and in a group, is a human experience that must be guided and nurtured by the conductor.

I think people are in choirs to fulfill themselves and find comfort and safety somewhere. Mainly in high school choirs, after a day of meaningless facts being thrown at them for memorization, students come to choir as a shelter from the mundane, inhuman, and non-engaging environment they are in. I also think people join choirs to have an active and equal role in a group of people working towards a common goal. I think people either consciously or at least subconsciously feel the rarity of that situation when it occurs in choir. In terms of childrens choir, a good portion of the children might truly love singing, a love realized from singing to the radio in mom and dads car everyday. Another reason people may join choirs is that they dont have many other opportunities to work and interact with other people due to age or occupation, so being in a choir gives them an opportunity to be with people that share an equal love for music as they do. And thats another thing. Musicians, from beginners to masters, are always attracted to each other like magnets. This is because we take joy in seeing and talking and making music with like-minded people, in terms of love for music. In addition, many people get energy and inspiration from working together in a musical setting that cant be found anywhere else. And lastly there is the fulfillment of being in a choir, or any musical ensemble. Choir is a human experience, an emotional experience, and I believe you must believe in the concept of a soul to understand what is most affected by being in a choir. When you witness or create something beautiful, that lifts your soul and fills you with appreciation for the beauty of what you just did. Not every choir may experience a large one-time dose of this, but it may be the cumulative efforts of that choir that slowly lift your soul.