What a conductor actually does on stage

It’s more than just dancing around.

If you’ve ever seen an orchestra perform you’ve probably had a difficult time looking away from the person dead center on the stage – the conductor. It’s hard to miss someone as they swing their arms around pointing at the musicians that seem to be focused instead on their music stands. So what exactly is the conductor doing?

We decided to ask James Gaffigan – a conductor who recently guest conducted the New York Philharmonic in Central Park – just what it is that makes a conductor so necessary and how their actions shape the performance.

[laram]

Things a conductor does (among others):
- Keeps everyone in time, when the music slows or gets faster, he makes sure everyone does so at the same rate
- Cues different sections to come in. Sometimes rhythms are very tricky and the conductor helps by indicating when to play and where. Also a lot of parts such as those for brass or percussion for example may have very long extended periods of rest where they are not playing, so the conductor confirms when to come in to those musicians who have been counting their rest bars.
- Dynamics. They're written in the music but he indicates to the players to what extent and how soft or loud they should be. He keeps the balance between the different sections so all the key parts can be heard within the full sound of the orchestra. Sometimes sections get too loud, so he can decide to push them back and reminds them to keep quiet, etc.
- Articulation + interpretation. His gestures tell the players how to play - sharply, strongly, smooth, etc. Also shows how to play the phrase, with motion towards a certain note etc.
- Sometimes you get lost while performing and the conductor is useful to get back in time as he clearly indicates the first beat of each bar.
Basically the conductor is like a director! He is the one with the artistic vision and helps the musicians to achieve it. The orchestra rehearses with the conductor many times before a performance - this is where he conveys to the musicians what he would like them to do etc. It is much like rehearsals of a play - the actors can learn their lines on their own but the director helps them come to life. The conductor is needed again during the performance to bring it all together and reminds each section of what to do like they have been practicing in rehearsal! Hope this helps :)

[Kevin-fjoe]

"So, what instrument do you play ?"
Conductor: " an orchestra "

[zandelscomicsandcards]

I would like to hear a song WITH a conductor. And then hear the same song WITHOUT a conductor.

[gabrielgaaferreira]

I've heard that metal is a good conductor.

[britshell]

This video has a lot less trains in it than I expected.

[ShesAaRebel]

I used to play violin in school, and when my teacher would be the conductor during a performance, I would notice that my mind almost goes blank. I have the music in front of me, but I would know the songs so well that I would hardly glace at it most of the time. She was able to give me the cues so well and show me how I should be playing, it was like my fingers on the strings and my hand on the bow would play on their own. It was such a big difference to me when comparing her standing in front of us, versus during a lesson when she would sometimes be moving around the class (to better hear how individuals were doing), and letting us play while giving verbal cues.
If someone were to ask me, "What does a conductor do?", I feel like my answer wouldn't do it justice. Even this video doesn't really do it justice. The only way for people to *really* get it, is to play in an orchestra.

[Logrusmage]

This video doesn't actually explain anything beyond the very first bit when he tells us the right hand keeps the beat.

[AlexRiversMusic]

Conductors are really important, I feel like us orchestral musicians understand but no one else does.

[secretafaf]

im a conductor and youre watching disney channel

[dragoncurveenthusiast]

I always saw it this way: The conductor plays the orchestra in the same way that each of the musicians plays their instrument.

[joshwilliams]

Pandemic got me falling into YouTube holes I don’t even do music

[raffitchakmakjian]

"I think people should focus on the music, and not the conductor." Well said.

[animec-dramaskpop]

I love it when the conductor go crazy.

[blankbmusic]

If a conductor did the robot while conducting, would the symphony play dubstep?

[hoodiesticks]

One thing that is worth pointing out is that the conductor is standing in front of the audience, so he hears the song the way the audience does. That's a much bigger deal than you might realize.

I played percussion for years in school, and every time I heard a recording of the songs I played in, it felt like a completely different song. Certain parts were way louder or softer, the timbre of certain instruments was different, and parts that I thought sounded great from the back ended up sounding annoying and grating from the front. There were several occasions (especially with cymbals and timpani) where I had to make noises that to my ears sounded terrible, but I trusted that they would sound good by the time they reached the front of the room.

That's why it's important to have someone at the front of the room giving feedback. If everyone just plays something that sounds good to their own ears, the mix will be a muddled mess.

[obsidianstatue]

So conductors are basically more skilled upscale DJs.

[gamerboy]

the video is misleading. The majority of their job is completed during rehearsal. Every piece of music is interpreted differently by a conductor and he instructs the orchestra during rehearsal on how exactly they want it played. By the time the of the actual performance the orchestra knows how the conductor wants it played and has little to do when he finally gets on stage. The musicians occasionally glance at the conductor during the performance to be reminded of certain cues and to keep everyone on the same page (literally). IDK why the video didn't address this.

[Burnt_Gerbil]

So the right hand is the metronome, and the left hand is the director. That makes sense to me.

[timdesuu]

Conductor: "Wingardium Leviosa"

[anthonymcbride]

I love conductors, I'm just totally enveloped and mesmerized in the way they control the flow of the music, it's direction, the impact of the beats and rhythms, as well as the force of being hit with the passion that everyone is putting into the music, and the vibrations that are sent throughout my soul!! I don't have much of a passion for music, but I do love, enjoy, and respect the art that it gives for all cultures!!