Get a conducting lesson from Montreal maestro Jean-Sébastien Vallée
Conducting is about creating an 'exciting performance,' Vallée says
What is a conductor doing with his arms?
Montreal conductor Jean-Sébastien Vallée says it's gathering the musical energy of his musicians and then sending it out in same direction.
This he says, "creates a much more exciting performance."
Vallée says it's a common misconception that his exuberant arm gestures are tied to prompting specific sounds from musicians.
"Even conductors sometimes … don't fully understand what we are supposed to do," says Vallée.
He also says that, in the last 15 years, the conductor's role has also evolved to include a lot of off-stage work.
"We have to deal with the political part, with the media part, with making sure people understand what we try to do."
But what is a conductor doing with his arms?
Vallée, who conducts the annual CBC Sing-In, has a few key gestures that he uses on stage to help him communicate with his players.
Starting and stopping
When Vallée wants his singers to start, he moves his hand down in a chopping motion.
To get his singers to stop singing he does a clockwise gesture with his hand.
Volume
To get the choir to sing louder he expands his arms outwards. To have the choir sing quieter he moves his hands in the opposite motion.
Tempo
Vallée controls the tempo by using what he calls a 'conducting pattern.' For example, in a piece of music with four beats in a bar, there is a specific gesture for each beat in the song.
Vallée says becoming a conductor is about learning "how to make a group sound its best."
He adds that CBC's annual Sing-In concert is his favourite time of year.
"It's really unique to be in front of so many singers both in front of me and behind me. It's a really powerful sound that makes your hold body vibrate and get excited to hear all that wonderful music."
The CBC Christmas Sing-In concert can be heard on Christmas Day at 12 p.m. on CBC Radio One (88.5 FM in Montreal) and 4 p.m. on CBC Music (93.5 FM in Montreal, 104.7 FM in the West Island). Julie Nesrallah will host the national broadcasts.
It will also be heard on Dec. 25 at 2 p.m. on ICI Musique classique, Radio-Canada's classical web radio service.
The complete CBC Christmas Sing-In is also available for online streaming at CBCMusic.ca/SingIn.
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