Approaching the Podium: A Literature Review of Wind Band Conducting Pedagogies and Principles

Conducting is a multifaceted and essential skill set expected of musicians from many specializations, but certainly for music educators who often fill ensemble leadership roles. For most undergraduate music majors, introductory conducting courses are their first experiences with conducting. Attending to all fundamental components of the undergraduate conducting curriculum, including effective score study strategies, mastery of technical skills in meter and patterns, and expressive and functional gestures, is a daunting task for undergraduates to achieve within the scope of one introductory course. In this review, I examine conducting scholarship regarding pedagogical practice and principles related explicitly to wind band conducting. Topics investigated included (a) score study, (b) gesture and expressivity, (c) conducting curriculum, (d) the dichotomy of “music educator” vs. “conductor as a performer,” and (e) the underrepresentation of minority groups on the podium. Implications for continued research and future practices of wind band conducting are shared.