S1E6: Discernment: How to Pick Quality Music

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S1E6: Discernment: How to Pick Quality Music

What does artistic excellence look and sound like?

Expectations
Form, shape & design
Orchestration & density
Style
Development
Idiom
Musical validity
Appeal & interest to players, audience and us
Being the adult in the room - training musical palates rather than pandering

Download the Determining Excellence Checklist PDF

Blog post: Why can't the kids pick their own music?

Stephen Budiansky's Washington Post article: The kids play great, but that music...

How to develop your own discernment and taste

Getting out of the rehearsal room
Listening beyond your ensemble/genre
Listening to great (and bad!) performances
Listen outside classical music

Musical Inspiration for Conductors (Youtube playlist)

Appropriateness

How to listen
Where to listen

How to select music that is appropriate for your:

Ensemble
Occasion
Audience

Download the Determining Appropriateness Checklist PDF

Action Steps

Select a work that is new to you and assess its artistic excellence using the checklist.
Select an upcoming performance in your calendar. Assess the work from Step 1 for its appropriateness to that event using the checklist.

Share your action steps with us on Instagram!

Take a photo or screen shot, tag us @conductingartistry and use hashtag #conductingartistryinaction

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