Music Director
Selecting repertoire, rehearsing musicians, and conducting full bands and small ensembles transfer directly to civilian music direction.
How to prepare: Build a conducting portfolio with rehearsal and performance recordings, repertoire lists, and a sample rehearsal plan for a civilian ensemble.
What the civilian work involves
- Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
- Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
- Consider such factors as ensemble size and abilities, availability of scores, and the need for musical variety, to select music to be performed.