Lesson One: The Baton, Leonard Slatkin's Conducting School

Leonard Slatkin's Conducting School 1.0 is a series of monthly videos showing music lovers conducting basics. A new lesson will be released on the 15th of every month.

[stevenj]

Slatkin is one of our greatest conductors ever produced in this country. I played under him for many years when he guest conducted the Grant Park Symphony. The most complicated and complex works he know how to take them apart by having different orchestra sections reh. them together and after, when we all joined together, - it was like a tight finished never played with a conductor who could accomplish that task any faster then he.

[margueritewalkerii]

I know that you have been doing this for a while, but I wanted to let you know that I just discovered it this evening while listening online to the 9th (I had a ticket but fell ill and could not attend), and am very excited to have made this discovery. Thank you so much for this education.

[Rosenblum]

This is my newest hobby during COVID isolation. I stand in front of my super stereo system and lead my virtual orchestra! ( I'm not very good yet at coordinating the hand movements - sorta looks like I'm swatting flies).

[Lqviolin]

Bravo Maestro! You are a master at reaching out to the community.

[atlassolid]

the most dramatic intro with the least dramatic expression

[Hearts]

Thank you very much, Maestro. I greatly admire your work. First heard you decades ago in The Complete Gershwin you recorded with the St Louis Symphony. To this day, it remains in my ear and heart the definitive interpretation of Gershwin. 👏🏆🎶

[randomstranger]

My Idea of Living the Good life is, to be able to pass down Knowledge that you have acquired and share it to the world, I am being lectured by Greatness himself. I hope to be one of the greatest Conductor of my DLC group.

[prateekverma]

Sir it's my very first day towards the amazing world of being a music this is the first lesson I took, I accept u as my master🙏❤

[santoshgujar]

I was always curious what they are doing, But i just Love Music, Thank you, Sir, 🙏🌺😇

[sophiaangelini]

I am totally mystified. Just starting and great need. Merci

[troyrussell]

If i carve a baton, could it theoretically be used by a conductor at some point? I'm thinking maybe they have to be carved from walnut, in this specific way or its just a wand and not a conductors baton.

[adigi_music]

I love it! You make it funny and interesting! Great Job, Maestro and thank you so much!

[michaeldjarmotsky]

A million thanks and I just can't thank enough for as long as I can remember I have always wanted to become a musical composer and conductor and musical supervisor and if I ever do make it as a musical composer and conductor and musical supervisor my title will be mister djarmotsky-

[kuangli]

Leonard Slatkin is famous for not using the baton.

[volldillo]

I do not agree with the claim, that the baton is only the focus leading to the hand. I played opera in the orchestra pit very often (professional level), and for precision, I always watched the tip of the baton, not the hand. The hand is optically way too diffuse for giving precise metric information to wind players or percussion. Maybe, beginners watch the hand and not the baton, but this doesn't say anything about what professional musicians are used to do.

[michaeldjarmotsky]

If I ever ever make it as a musical composer and conductor and musical supervisor my title will be mr.djarmotsky

[michaeldjarmotsky]

This video is a true god send because I want lern how to conduct a symphony orchestra

[briankatona]

Wonderful and informative! Thank you for sharing!

[jonathandavis]

2:56 Perfectly balanced, as all things should be

[carltrotter]

5:44 of a man talking about a fancy twig.

I love civilisation.