SWMS Student on NCO Conducting Course

Luke Hinchliffe, a drummer on South West Music School, attended the National Children’s Orchestra conducting course.  He wrote this article about his experiences:

Conducting has been something I’ve always wanted to experience: to feel the buzz when supporting and guiding fellow musicians; to have the opportunity to learn (what is effectively) a new instrument and to appreciate and understand more fully the Orchestra. At the National Children’s Orchestra conducting course I got this opportunity and I learnt a great deal...

On first arriving, I was greeted by old friends and fellow NCO ex-members and we were briefed. We were to learn the basic techniques and ideas behind conducting and our aim was to conduct the Under 12 Orchestra on the last day. It was time to work.

Our tutor was none other than Natalia Luis-Bassa of the world famous Venezuelan Youth Orchestra and she was inspirational. Very quickly we picked up the main ideas and we were soon waving our batons (rather in the style of Harry Potter) with confidence to various exercises. The pieces we were studying were Beethoven 7^th Symphony, Movement 2 and Brahms Symphony No. 4, Movement 3 and we began to analyse and understand the parts in greater detail.

Eventually, we got to the stage where we took it in turns to conduct each other (in our mini-orchestra of 16) so that we could get a taste for the challenges and score reading that would be needed for the chosen 8 of us to conduct the Under 12s later in the week.

After lots of practice and hard work, I was one of the lucky few picked to conduct in front of the many eyes watching eagerly. I was nervous (despite Natalia’s advice of eating a banana before performing.) Before I knew it I had raised my baton to signal to the Orchestra that they were to raise their instruments. UPBEAT- and in: the effect of a blast of sound was amazing and I grinned with pride as I began to conduct, cueing the different sections and varying my beat sizes to affect the dynamics. It was fantastic to feel the music and realise my hard work had finally paid off...

After my time on the conducting course, I have discovered something that I thoroughly enjoy and can pass on to fellow friends and family, at school and in local bands. I hope to carry on conducting and practicing and that maybe one day in the near future, I will get the chance to conduct top bands and orchestras, doing something I love.