Beyond the Baton What Every Conductor Needs to Know [Paperback]

Seasoned conductor Diane Wittry draws a comprehensive roadmap to a successful career inBeyond the Baton. With first-hand understanding of how the role of the conductor has changed across the years, she expertly examines the new set of duties--both on and off of the podium--that now fall upon the shoulders of the music director.

From getting a job to fundraising and educational outreach, Wittry's comprehensive tips and strategies guide students and professional conductors alike through the leadership and organizational skills necessary for success. Numerous real-life examples illustrate vital skills for artistic leadership such as programming subscription, pops, and educational concerts; understanding the budget and the music director's role in funding the artistic vision; and presenting speeches, and radio and televised interviews. In informative conversations with the author, successful conductors Leonard Slatkin, Robert Spano, and JoAnn Falletta offer tips from personal experience on how music directors can work successfully with orchestras, and what their roles are with the board and the community.

Prologue

1 Preparing for Success
2 Path to the Podium
3 Your First Job
4 Artistic Leadership
5 Artistic Programming
6 The People Factor
7 Funding the Artistic Vision
8. Closing Thoughts

Resources

Music Organizations
Music Sources
Training and Personal Development
Programming Resources
Sample Contracts and Resume Format
Recommended Reading

Photo Credits
Index

Being a music director for a symphony orchestra may be a demanding, tension-filled job, but if in the process of doing that job lives can be changed 'for the better,' then it is certainly worth doing well.Beyond the Batonwill help any music conductor to do so, and that's why Wittry wrote it. -Geary Dahiny,Norwalk Citizen

Beyond the Batonis not a text concerned with stick techniquelC*