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.

[@margueritewalkerii7304]

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.

[@atlassolid5946]

the most dramatic intro with the least dramatic expression

[@Lqviolin2]

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

[@blobodep6251]

Hello, are you a conductor? If yes, I want to ask you a few questions about it if that's okay with you.

[@2Hearts3]

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. 👏🏆🎶

[@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.

[@prateekverma2602]

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

[@WoFfan13]

I wish you the very best of luck! Conducting is hard, but EXTREMELY fun!

[@randomstranger3473]

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.

[@sophiaangelini4368]

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

[@blobodep6251]

Hello, are you a conductor? If yes, I want to ask you a few questions about it if that's okay with you.

[@adigi_music]

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

[@blobodep6251]

Hello, are you a conductor? If yes, I want to ask you a few questions about it if that's okay with you.

[@felixscore]

Very Smart Great Conductor! (1) Thanks Leonard!

[@kuangli115]

Leonard Slatkin is famous for not using the baton.

[@catycat28meow]

I use just the hands.

[@blobodep6251]

Hello, are you a conductor? If yes, I want to ask you a few questions about it if that's okay with you.

[@catycat28meow]

It's okay with me.

[@blobodep6251]

Thx so much. Can we talk over discord or somth similar because communicating by commenting is a bit difficult. What do you prefer?

[@catycat28meow]

Comments.

[@Johnwilkinsonofficial]

this is what the internet can be! 🙏

[@juliakolasinska]

Yess ❤ true! :) the same thought. Writing title and you have knowledge

[@briankatona]

Wonderful and informative! Thank you for sharing!

[@michaeldjarmotsky1820]

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

[@michaeldjarmotsky1820]

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-

[@troyrussell177]

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.

[@ralphnjackson]

fabulous

[@turz60]

Ralph Jack

[@lj291261]

You can get someone from the street and let that person conduct an orchestra like the Berliner and they will play the same way as conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. It is all in the rehearsal not in the performance.

[@jonathandavis1616]

2:56 Perfectly balanced, as all things should be

[@ZayaStirling]

I'm making my own baton right now, taken a few tries to get the stem right.

[@Massigangster]

Wow what an intro!

[@lotusbuds2000]

a musical giant...but he looks so cute with his potish belly as he walks in...

[@carltrotter7622]

5:44 of a man talking about a fancy twig. I love civilisation.

[@kobekelson9837]

What type of baton does he have?

[@BarbaraKrolOfficial]

I have a baton! Let’s go!

[@catharinas.miller1965]

I used to dream of being a conductor. I didn't reach good points in my Brazilian SATs for conducting at university but it was high enough for international business...that's what I did.😑

[@Donde_Lieta]

I should get the ol’ Jean Baptist Lully styled conducting staff

[@blobodep6251]

Hello, are you a conductor? If yes, I want to ask you a few questions about it if that's okay with you.

[@robbiedaug]

Thank you

[@championvinnie9375]

Great intro with Aaron copland

[@frankborder]

Why is Dick Van Patten doing a conducting video and where did Leonard Slatkin go

[@michaeldjarmotsky1820]

I would like to conduct and compose music

[@lanebrain55]

Where can I get the style of baton like you use?

[@gonzalocisternas4564]

I feel so weird watching this, because i am a film composer and people just assume that i know how to do this (even musicians), but this is really a difficult - and specific - discipline.

[@FoursideAssetManagement]

great conductor

[@blobodep6251]

Hello, are you a conductor? If yes, I want to ask you a few questions about it if that's okay with you.

[@FoursideAssetManagement]

@@blobodep6251 yes, fire away

[@blobodep6251]

Can we talk using discord or anything you like because talking by commenting is a bit difficult. What do you prefer?

[@blobodep6251]

Ill ask my questions in the comments anyways

[@blobodep6251]

1: Are there many conductors in the world? Is their number over 100000? I dont see many probably because my school didn't offer music classes. But my friends and family members who took music classes learned about the piano and violin, so I was wondering how low the number of conductors in the world are. 2: What is the most difficult thing about being a conductor? Is it finding a job or practicing? Or maybe it's some other thing I didn't think about. 3: How do conductors practice? Do they practice by conducting an orchestra only? Is there no other way to practice? 4: Is the number of people aspiring to be conductors decreasing?

[@michaeldjarmotsky1820]

I practice conducting using long thin white slender plastic drinking straws to conduct

[@Chris-id7fn]

Yesssssssss!!

[@HelloooThere]

What is baton for?

[@michaeldjarmotsky1820]

I am planning to be mr.djarmotasky musical composer and conductor and musical supervisor

[@paperkay]

Awesome :D

[@michaeldjarmotsky1820]

My family doctors title is dr.ng and my title will be mr.djarmotsky the new musical composer and conductor and musical supervisor

[@michaeldjarmotsky1820]

I will take mister.michael Patrick djarmotsky as my title

[@MargaretWalkerCellist]

Valery Gergiev uses a toothpick..

[@sasha42196]

Yes, he saves one from lunch...on occasion, food particles that were previously between the Maestro's teeth dislodge from the toothpick and fly into the orchestra...

[@sasha42196]

A friend of mine used a coat hanger to make his first baton...

[@James_Bowie]

Can conduct electricity with that, too.

[@sasha42196]

@@James_Bowie No, it was plastic.

[@silverpairaducks]

I just used my hands

[@PrashiCN]

Sir, Whats the intro music piece?

[@LukeBerringer]

Prashanth Cn "Rodeo" by Copland

[@Rosenblum18]

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).

[@blobodep6251]

Hello, are you a conductor? If yes, I want to ask you a few questions about it if that's okay with you.

[@stevenj9970]

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 puzzle.....Ive never played with a conductor who could accomplish that task any faster then he.

[@marynovacalapan9555]

great!!! may I know the Tittle of the background music ?? Thank you .

[@julissamartinez5304]

mary nova calapan it's "Rodeo" by Copland!

[@marynovacalapan9555]

thank you very much ! .

[@michaeldjarmotsky1820]

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

[@Evangelionism]

The audience: "He pounded [the staff] so hard that he ran through his foot..." The choir: "...caught gang green..." The audience and choir in unison: "...and DIED." The detectives' rule: **Writes: "Occupational hazard."**

[@ljc6141]

Gangrene

[@amaice]

GANG GREEN

[@santoshgujar5237]

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

[@michaeldjarmotsky1820]

I use long thin white slender plastic drinking straws to conduct

[@anvilgames2421]

My left ear is gonna be a really good conductor