SKU: GI.G-9566
Transforming Yourself
as a Musician and
Conductor. Composed
by Richard Sparks. Music
Education. 210 pages. GIA
Publications #9566.
Published by GIA
Publications (GI.G-9566).
ISBN
9781622773589.
What
do coaches, master
teachers, and studies of
the psychology of
learning have to teach us
about conducting? It
turns out, quite a bit.
In this concise yet
insightful volume,
Richard Sparks draws from
years of experience in
the professional choral
world and from his time
teaching at two leading
universities to help
choral conductors
transform their craft and
create truly artful
experiences. He gains
inspiration from
legendary college
basketball coach John
Wooden and shares
striking and refreshing
parallels between
coaching sports teams and
conducting music
ensembles. Sparks draws
equally from research in
the fields of teaching
and the psychology of
learning—and what
a conductor can take from
those areas as well. Just
as an artisan builds a
set of skills and learns
the tools of the trade,
conductors too must build
a box of tools to help
them learn, understand,
and interpret music, lead
rehearsals, and conduct.
The Conductor’s
Toolbox conveniently and
succinctly compiles these
tools. Highlights
include: Assessing
yourself and your choir
Using modeling Developing
good habits in yourself
and your choir Learning
and teaching new skills
Rehearsing more
efficiently Teaching
fundamental elements of
music Selecting
repertoire that improves
your and your
choir’s skills
Improving your planning
and pacing of rehearsals
This book is for the
young conductor starting
out who wants to build a
truly solid craft. It is
also for the experienced
conductor who wonders how
to move to the next
level, reenergize, and
grow. Richard Sparks was
Professor of Music and
Chair of Conducting &
Ensembles at the
University of North Texas
from 2009–2019,
and he served as Director
of Choral Activities at
Pacific Lutheran
University from
1983–2001. He has
founded and led a number
of professional choral
organizations and guest
conducted ensembles
including the Santa Fe
Desert Chorale and the
Swedish Radio Choir.
Choral Music Skill
Building Evaluation Form.
This evaluation form,
created by Alan Davis and
available here as a free
PDF download, touches on
many of the skill
building ideas discussed
in The Conductor's
Toolbox. A unique and
deftly effective
instructional reference
guide and manual that is
unreservedly recommended
for personal,
professional, community,
college, and university
library collection, The
Conductor's Toolbox
should be considered
essential reading for
anyone seeking a career
in orchestral conducting
in any form or format.
—James A. Cox,
Library Bookwatch,
October 2019.
James Cox
