How to Serve Your Music Community: Clinics

 One of my favorite things I do to serve the music community and industry is to be a guest clinician. Since I became the Director of Orchestral Studies at Sam Houston State University, I have been expanding my network in and around the Houston and Dallas area. Every semester, I am invited to work with several school's ensembles. 

So, what is a clinic? This is where an ensemble will invite an outside conductor/educator to come work with them to gain outside perspective. 

Why do you want to bring in a guest clinician? Typically the ensembles spend weeks if not months on the music in preparation for a contest or a concert. When you are intimately involved in music making for such a long time, it's hard to see a big picture. You start to focus on each leaf instead of the forest. It's healthy for the ensemble to work with someone new, so the director can sit back and marvel at the work they have put in without worrying about "what do I need to fix next?" Oftentimes, the clinician will reemphasize what the director has been telling the ensemble for weeks. I realize it's frustrating to the directors that the students may not acknowledge the comment until it comes from an outside source. Also, every conductor prioritizes different elements of music. I may not be too excited about fixing bowings or intonation (I will, if they are the biggest problems), but I tend to focus on phrasing, breathing, blending, color, and playing together as an ensemble. 

This week, I am in Arizona working with the West Valley Symphony as a Music Director candidate. As part of the audition process, I had an opportunity to work with Mountain Ridge HS Concert Band and Wind Ensemble as a guest clinician.

 I always love observing the culture, atmosphere, ritual, and tradition the directors build for their ensembles. I also love sharing my love of music with the students and offering support to the directors and the students. It's always so encouraging to watch young musicians work hard daily for a greater cause. Another reason why I love doing clinics is because I am well aware that without  these programs and dedicated directors, my profession will totally dry up! It is my way of paying back and forward to the music community.

How Staff Conducting Position Auditions work

 In my last two posts, I discussed how Music Director auditions work. Today, I'd like to share my experience auditioning for staff conducting positions. These could be Assistant, Associate, or Resident Conductor, and every orchestra has different titles, needs, and job descriptions.

I was invited to a few staff conductor auditions, mostly in the 2000's, so my experience may be outdated. However, I did host an Assistant Conductor audition with the Chattanooga Symphony in 2020. I followed a similar format as I experienced as a young conductor.

The application process is similar to the Music Director's: Letter of Interest, short resume (2 pages max), sample conducting videos. Orchestras may request sample education or family concert programs. Make sure you are submitting the materials well in advance. The committee might start reviewing the materials as soon as they receive them. You want their mind to be fresh and less numb when they review your materials. This also gives a great impression that you are capable of meeting deadlines in advance and shows you're eager to win the position.

After the vetting process, the list will narrow down to about a dozen for zoom interview, then 4-5 finalists for in-person interview/audition. The in-person audition process will be maximum 2 days. I had to pay my way there a few times, but most of the time, they will fly you in and house you in a hotel or a board member's house. It varies on their budget, and how desperately you want the job!

The audition process is much shorter than the Music Director's. You might be on the podium for 20-30 minutes. The audition process includes:

1. Conducting well-known conductor "excerpts" such as Mozart Magic Flute Overture, Beethoven 5th first movement, Copland Appalachian Spring, or Stravinsky Infernal Dance from the Firebird. These excerpts demonstrate how clear your "stick technique" is. Accompanying a concerto movement performed by a symphony member could be a part of the repertoire selection as well. 

2. Rehearsal: You will be asked to rehearse for a few minutes. Be concise, respectful, and efficient. 

3. Speaking may be a part of the interview process. For example: "provide a one minute introduction to Infernal Dance, geared towards a group of 3rd graders." This exercise demonstrates that 1. you can speak English and 2. you can relate to young audience with engaging and clear communication skills.

4. Formal interview with the committee: Committee often consists of the Music Director, Education Manager/Director, musician, and any other staff members (Youth Orchestra board, if the position comes with YO conducting) that will work closely with the Assistant Conductor. 

I sent in well over 50 applications (I lost count) for a staff conducting position, and I was invited to 8 in-person auditions. Out of those 8, I only won ONE staff conducting position. I share this to say, yes, it is a very competitive field, but keep going if this is something you truly believe in. The right position will find you when the time is right! Remember, if you don't send in your application, your chance of winning is ZERO percent.

I wish you nothing but the best in your endeavor in this wonderfully challenging yet rewarding career.

How Conductor Auditions work 2

 In my previous post, I discussed various hats a Music Director wears.

So what do the Music Director Auditions look like? 

Major orchestras do not announce position openings. My guess is they consider guest conductors they invited in the last several years. Without much warning, they announce who the next Music Director is. 

Professional regional orchestras typically announce the position opening and solicit applications. These materials may include: resume, letter of interest, sample videos, and sample programs. After the committee reviews the materials, they may conduct a Zoom interview then narrow down to several Finalists.

Once you're a Finalist, you program a concert you will conduct. This is where you get to be creative! Conducting is absolutely my favorite part of the job, but programming is a close second. Every orchestra has their unique challenges, and you will have the opportunity to construct a striking program within the organization's available resources. Once the programming is set, you will communicate with the librarian, personnel manager, etc to make sure every logistical details are set. 

During your audition week, you will attend many events to meet donors, patrons, community partners, or visit a school or two. The search committee will observe if you are capable of connecting genuinely with all the constituents of the organization. While being professional, I think it's important to be authentic. It is hard to keep up a facade, and I would like the orchestra to choose me for who I am, and not who I pretend to be. 

The relationship between the Music Director and the orchestra is like a friendship. Through the rigorous vetting process, all finalists are capable of doing the job. I believe the most important factor of this relationship is if there is a chemistry that sparks excitement, joy, and trust. The committee tends to highly value this element during the selection process.

At a later date, I'll discuss how staff conductor auditions work. I hope 2025 brings you full of excitement, joy, challenges, and loads of fun.

How Conductor Auditions work 1

 Happy New Year!

A few weeks ago, I presented a class called "Orchestra Auditions: Procedure and Tips." During Q & A, several students asked how the conductor audition works, but we didn't have adequate time for a discussion. Since I am preparing for an audition/interview as the Music Director of West Valley Symphony in a few days, I thought I'd collect my thoughts on what it takes to prepare for an audition as a conductor.

There are several positions conductors can audition for. Early in the career, you may audition for a staff conductor position: Assistant, Associate, or Resident Conductor. These positions' job descriptions may include covering (i.e. be a back-up conductor for) the Music Director and Guest Conductors, and conducting Family/Education/Community concerts or other subscription concerts as assigned. Your main job is to be ready, conduct efficiently, and meet the needs of an organization. I will dive into the staff conductor audition at a later date.

The Music Director position is more involved. The MD wears many hats:

1. Artistic Leader: Set the artistic goal for the orchestra. This can come in the form of programming, the format of concert, composer you present, soloists your feature, and auditioning and selecting musicians.

2. Conductor: By far, the best part of the job- you rehearse and conduct works you programmed!

3. Ambassador of Arts/Performing Arts: You represent the organization and performing arts in the community you serve. The orchestra may be the only professional performing arts organization in the community. You may be a liaison between other cultural, educational, service, or arts organizations in the area. Being an engaging speaker/communicator is essential. 

4. Advocate for contemporary composers: I believe it is important to promote and present the music written by composers of our own generation. Without this advocacy, it is impossible to leave wonderful music our peers are creating for the next generations of musicians and audience. Making meaningful connections with composers you believe in is important to this process, and presenting the works in captivating ways is helpful. 

5. Manager: Although you will work with the Executive Director who manages the administrative side of the orchestra, you do work closely with the Personnel Manager (who ensures all the appropriate musicians are hired), Librarian (who prepares music), and Orchestra/Production Manager (who makes sure that stage is set up and equipments are present at rehearsals and concerts). They will need clear and timely communication and guidance to do their job effectively.

In my next post, I'll discuss what a Music Director audition may look like.

Cost/Time saving recipe #4: Pizza!

 Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful time with your loved ones today. I made tonkatsu, as one does. I'll share a recipe for that at some point in the future.

A few hours after tonkatsu lunch, my son asked if we can have pizza for dinner. I, of course, obliged.

I have been making my own dough for a while, because it's super easy.

I basically follow this recipe on Fine Cooking.

Ingredients: 

1.5 cups luke warm water

1/2 TBS yeast

1 TBS olive oil

1/2 TBS sugar

2 tsp salt

4-5 cups of flour

In a standing mixer, pour water, yeast and sugar. Let yeast grow for a few minutes. After yeast starts bubbling, add flour (4 cups to start), olive oil, and salt. 

Mix at low speed. Add more flour as needed. Once incorporated, make into a ball, cover with a towel and let it rise for 45min. (Recipe says 2 hours, but who has time for that?). 

After it rises, divide the dough into 4 small or 2 large pizzas.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Make sauce. 

Ingredient:

6 oz tomato paste

15 oz tomato sauce

2 TBS each of oregano and basil

1/2 tsp each of garlic and onion powder

1/2 TBS salt

1 tsp sugar

Mix vigorously. No need to heat anything, which is nice.

Roll out the dough to your preferred thickness, add sauce, and any toppings of your choice. 

I usually roll it out on parchment paper, so counter top doesn't need cleaning, and the loose flour won't fall into the oven and cause the fire alarm to go off. (<= spoken from experience.) Place the pizza with parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven.

Pizza was eaten swiftly, so I didn't get a chance to take a good picture. 😅

You can portion off the dough and sauce and freeze them! Transfer them to fridge in the morning, and would be thawed out by the time you are ready to cook dinner. 

Buon appetito! 

Another cost/time saving recipes: Chicken!

 Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Today my students reminded me that I actually have a blog 😅

Here's another cost/time saving food prep idea. When I buy chicken breast from Costco (10-12 pounds?), I chop them up into bite sizes pieces, and marinade them.

Left: Salt, pepper, and sesame oil

Top Right: Salt, pepper, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil

Botton Right: Salt, pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, and olive oil

I portion them and freeze.

You can transfer it to fridge in the morning, and usually it's thawed by the time you're ready to cook dinner. It feels less daunting to cook up a meal when chopping/seasoning is already done. Serve with a salad and rice/pasta/bread, and you have a nice balanced meal!

We're almost at the end of the semester, so let's keep going strong.

Have a lovely Thanksgiving!

KD

Another cost/time saving recipe: #2 Chicken vegetable soup

 Hi friends,

Yesterday I shared my meat sauce recipe. Some of you might be wondering "WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ALL THE LEFTOVER CARROTS AND CELERY??"

Well, good question. You can always eat them as is 👍 Costco has great individual hummus. (BTW, I don't work for Costco nor they sponsor me here 😂) But when you come home exhausted, you're too tired to chew crunchy vegetables. #iykyk

This time, I made chicken and vegetable soup, using leftover Costco Rotisserie Chicken. This Rotisserie chicken is my son's FAVORITE food in the world, so we buy at least one a week. The leftover meat turns into soup or Japanese curry (more on this later).

Here's my rough attempt of my soup recipe:

1. Feed your son his favorite parts of the chicken, then take apart the leftovers and dice

2. Chop up carrots and celery (leftover from meat sauce)

3. Dump the carrots and celery in a giant pot, add chicken broth and simmer for 20 minutes

4. Add chicken and simmer for additional 10 minutes (or until you remember it's still cooking)

5. You can portion them off into freezer-safe containers, and freeze for the days you have zero motivation to cook.

I keep this soup pretty basic, so I can add flavoring depending on how I feel. Sometimes I add chili oil, curry powder, or "Italian" seasoning, so I don't get sick of it.

Also, I still had plenty of carrots and celery left, so I chopped them up and froze them in few batches. I'll use them in soups or curry later. 

Buon appetito!