Intervention cycle: where am I at the moment?

During my last intervention cycle a few things kept coming back:

– Use my body language in a more active way, for example by turning towards the group.

–  Be more present or take the lead, so find a way between being friendly and being authoritative.

– Be more selfsecured.

I used these things as a guideline in my actual intervention cycle. At the bottom of this page you’ll find a YouTube video in which I try to show how I’m dealing with these things now. As you can see, I made a written description as well.

The recording was made at the 13th of October 2015 during a rehearsal of Valerius.

Description and video

Beginning: as you can see, I’m present: I’m speaking to the group.

0:26h I’m turning a little and I’m conducting, to speed up the rest of the group (body language/being present)

0:34h I’m giving every note (body language/being present)

0:41h I’m bending, to show dynamics (body language/being present)

0:48h I’m straightening my back to show a crescendo (body language/being present)

0:56h I’m “conducting” a little bit (body language/being present)

1:06h (CRAP!)

1:10h I’m giving an entrance (body language/being present)

1:22h I’m trying to prevent us from speeding up (body language/being present)

1:28h I’m having eye contact with the conductor

1:30h I’m turning to the group because of a tempo change: this helps us to be together (turning/body language/being present)

1:48h I’m giving a nod at a “center/meeting point” (body language/being present)

1:55h I’m showing a ritenuto (body language/being present)

2:00h We’re playing a broad melody: I’m playing with full bow and am looking around to warn people: please use your bow the same way as I’m doing! (body language/being present)

2:23h I make a mistake and I apologise (friendly way of leading)

2:38h I’m giving instructions: use as much bow as you’ve got, and skip the old bowings (being present)

3:10h I’m answering the girl next to me

3:18h I’m using my body language to tell the orchestra members to create a broad sound (body language/being present)

3:22h I’m checking whether everybody has understood the right bowings and the amount of bow that is requested (being present)

3:38h I’m showing: make noise, fffff!!! (body language/being present)

3:41h I’m conducting the last note (body language/being present)

3:46h I’m giving a forte entrance (body language/being present)

3:52h I’m conducting and bending a little (body language/being present)

3:58h I keep playing whether the group is right or not, so that they can follow me (the horn is behind, so there might be confusion) (being present)

4:01h I’m marking the harmonic changes (body language/being present)

4:09h idem

4:13h idem

4:21h I’m smiling to tell the conductor that I heard his remark

4:30h I’m joking with the girl next to me (this could be a friendly way of leading)