Expressive Conducting: Movement and Performance Theory for Conductors applies the insight of movement and performance theory to the practice of conducting, offering a groundbreaking new approach to conducting. Where traditional conducting pedagogies often place emphasis on training parts of the body in isolation, Expressive Conducting teaches conductors to understand their gestures as part of an interconnected system that incorporates the whole body. Rather than emphasizing learning specific patterns and gestures, this book enables student and professional conductors to develop a conducting technique that is centered around expressing the themes of the music. Drawing parallels to the worlds of acting, this text treats the body as the conductor's instrument. Coaching notes derived from years of experience as a performance movement specialist offer readers approachable methods for eliminating communication barriers-both conscious and subconscious-to encourage optimal performance, highlighting acting theory, movement exercises and the significance of weight distribution. Unlike other conducting approaches, this text understands that conducting resonates throughout the entire body and is not conveyed by the hands or baton alone. With a comprehensive consideration of the conductor's body and movements, featuring over 50 original illustrations, Expressive Conducting advances strategies for improving one's conducting skills in rehearsal and performance. Jerald Schwiebert has developed a practical language for expressive conducting. Together, Schwiebert and Barr present a text that is suitable for conducting students, instructors, and professionals alike.

Expressive Conducting: Movement and Performance Theory for Conductors applies the insight of movement and performance theory to the practice of conducting, offering a groundbreaking new approach to conducting. Where traditional conducting pedagogies often place emphasis on training parts of the body in isolation, Expressive Conducting teaches conductors to understand their gestures as part of an interconnected system that incorporates the whole body. Rather than emphasizing learning specific patterns and gestures, this book enables student and professional conductors to develop a conducting technique that is centered around expressing the themes of the music. Drawing parallels to the worlds of acting, this text treats the body as the conductor's instrument. Coaching notes derived from years of experience as a performance movement specialist offer readers approachable methods for eliminating communication barriers-both conscious and subconscious-to encourage optimal performance, highlighting acting theory, movement exercises and the significance of weight distribution. Unlike other conducting approaches, this text understands that conducting resonates throughout the entire body and is not conveyed by the hands or baton alone. With a comprehensive consideration of the conductor's body and movements, featuring over 50 original illustrations, Expressive Conducting advances strategies for improving one's conducting skills in rehearsal and performance. Jerald Schwiebert has developed a practical language for expressive conducting. Together, Schwiebert and Barr present a text that is suitable for conducting students, instructors, and professionals alike.

"A very valuable teaching tool for professors of acting, theater, singing voice, movement for actors, conducting, and dance kinesiology. Accessible and fresh, there is no other movement-based book for performers that looks so carefully at balance and body-mapping."
--Sarah Barker, University of South Carolina

"Jerry Schwiebert's approach has revolutionized my conducting technique, and I've seen his methods greatly benefit instrumentalists and singers as well."
--Douglas Kinney Frost, Syracuse Opera

Performers of all kinds know that "tuning up the body" is required to maximize performance. Physical habits, mannerisms, and posture can block the capacity for expression, often without the performer even noticing. Because of this, movement education--long standard in theater curriculum--is increasingly being adopted in other fields, particularly music education.

"Physical Expression and the Performing Artist" is an organized approach to movement for all performing artists, based on the teaching of Jerald Schwiebert, master movement teacher and creator of popular workshops for actors, dancers, and musicians. Capturing the energy of Schwiebert's workshops, the book draws from the wisdom of traditions such as Hatha yoga, Tai Chi, and Pilates, as well as from Stanislavski, Alexander, Feldenkrais, and Laban, to provide a fresh and accessible approach to movement. The book's nearly 300 illustrations highlight anatomical features and help readers pinpoint specific muscles, joints, and actions. The book will prove indispensable in movement courses and as a resource guide for professionals seeking to take their performances to the next level.