Shadowing Practice: Class Notes: What Does a Conductor Do? - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Hello and welcome to NPR's Class Notes.
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I'm Alison Young.
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Have you ever wondered what a musical conductor actually does?
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Well, I certainly have.
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And today, that's exactly what we're going to look at.
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Bye.
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- Thank you.
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Thank you.
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Thank you.
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This person is called the conductor.
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The conductor is the person who keeps all the musicians of the orchestra and their different instruments together and on track.
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But a conductor does much more than that.
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What do the arm waving and all those other gestures mean?
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You might even wonder why a conductor is needed in the first place.
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If the musicians in an orchestra know the music in front of them and are following the score,
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Can't they just perform on their own?
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Today we're going to meet a conductor and learn what she does.
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Her name is Sarah Hicks, and she's led some of the best professional and student orchestras in the world.
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She'll help us understand what's behind a conductor's leadership
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and how the back and forth she has with the musicians on stage creates great music.
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Hi everyone and welcome.
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I'm Sarah Hicks and when I'm conducting an orchestra there are
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so many things that I have to know and feel all at the same time.
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First and foremost, I have to know the music inside and out what the notes are, how fast or slow they are, how soft or loud they are,
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and how they all add up together to create phrases and melodies.
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I also need to know the instruments the musicians are playing, what they sound like by themselves, what they sound like together, and what the effect is on me and the audience.
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In an orchestra, there are four families of instruments.
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the woodwinds, the brass, the percussion, and the strings.
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And since they're not all playing together at the same time, I need to know how to cue instruments to bring them in.
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Also important to know is the rhythm of the music, the time signature, Is it in 2 -2?
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Is it in 3 -4?
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Is it in 4 -4?
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My gestures tell the musicians what to do.
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And finally, since musicians are spread across the stage, I need to know how to get their attention all at the same time so we can start together.
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And when the music is ending, how to stop together.
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Let's talk about time signature here.
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So that music you just heard was by Engelbert Humperdinck from his opera Hansel and Gretel.
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It was in 4 /4.
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So let me do it again and I want you to watch my hands.
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One.
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Two three, four, one, Two.
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3. Four.
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You want to try it all together?
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Yeah!
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So take your right hand.
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I'll take my left hand.
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We're going to start up here.
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are gonna go Down, to the left, to the right, A.
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Down?
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Across, across, across.
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Oh!
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One two, three, Four, and that's your four, four pattern.
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Let's try one more beat pattern, this time not 4 /4, but 3 /4.
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And this is music from the Concerto 4 Orchestra by the Polish composer Witold Ludoslawski.
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Did you notice a different beat pattern?
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So instead of four beats, there are three beats.
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And it looks something like this.
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One.
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Two.
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3 One to Three.
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Want to try that?
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Yeah!
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Take your right hand, my left hand, down to the right, Ah.
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Down.
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Right?
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Up.
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One, two, three.
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And that's your three four beat.
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It's fun, isn't it?
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Yeah.
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But remember, as a conductor, everyone's eyes are always on you.
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And the musicians are counting on you to keep the time and to keep them together, and also to help them express what the music's all about.
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- So does anyone have any questions?
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Yes, Gaby.
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How does the conductor show the orchestra when to play loud or soft?
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Two ways.
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I can make them play loud by making my gestures bigger.
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and soft by making my gestures smaller.
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Or I can raise my arm, or lower my arm.
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Yes, Olivia.
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How does the conductor show the orchestra how to play fast or slow?
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Well, I show them with the speed of my beat.
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I can start at one tempo, and then I can speed up my beat to make them faster.
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or slow down my bead to make them slower, and they'll follow me.
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Henry.
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How do you let musicians know when to start playing?
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I usually give them a cue.
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sometimes with my hand, sometimes with my finger, and sometimes if I know they're going to be too loud, with my whole hand like this.
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Sala!
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Who's your favorite composer to conduct and why?
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It changes every day.
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Sometimes it's Mozart because I love his precision, sometimes it's Mahler because he's so emotional, and sometimes it's Leonard Bernstein because he's bubbly and boisterous.
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Yes, Gaby.
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What made you decide you wanted to be a conductor?
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Well, I was a concert pianist when I was in my teenage years.
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I hurt my hands and so couldn't play the piano, but my dad told me you can still hold a stick.
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And so I started conducting when I was 17.
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Thank you.
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So now you know the conductor is not just some funny or unnecessary person waving their arms around.
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They're actually the leader.
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They guide the musicians to play together and make the best music they can.
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Context & Background
In this video titled "Class Notes: What Does a Conductor Do?", Alison Young introduces the role of a musical conductor. The focus is on understanding the intricate responsibilities of a conductor, particularly through the insights provided by Sarah Hicks, an accomplished conductor. The dialogue explores the importance of conducting in an orchestra, which includes coordinating various instruments, interpreting music, and ensuring that musicians perform harmoniously. This context sets a foundation for language learners to acquire specific phrases and terminology related to music and conducting, enhancing their vocabulary while developing listening and speaking skills.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- “What does a conductor do?” - A direct and inquisitive phrase useful for engaging conversations about music.
- “I need to know how to cue instruments.” - This phrase can help describe the role of leadership in both music and other group activities.
- “Let’s talk about time signature.” - Useful in discussions about rhythm, applicable to both musical and non-musical contexts.
- “Watch my hands.” - Great for giving instructions or asking someone to observe closely during practice sessions.
- “I want you to try it all together.” - Encourages teamwork and collaboration, applicable in diverse situations beyond music.
Step-by-step Shadowing Guide
To enhance your English speaking skills using the shadowing technique, follow this practical guide based on the video:
- Listen Actively: Start by watching the video carefully. Pay attention to how Alison and Sarah articulate their words and emotions. Note the rhythm and intonation.
- Break It Down: Segment the video into manageable parts. Focus on small phrases like “Watch my hands” and repeat them aloud. This is crucial for improving your clarity and pronunciation.
- Practice the Gestures: As Sarah conducts, mimic her hand movements. This activity not only helps with physical coordination but also enriches your engagement with the content!
- Repeat and Record: Use a recording device to capture your shadow speech. Listen to your recordings to identify areas for improvement, much as musicians review their performances during practices.
- Engage with Others: Organize a study group or practice with a partner. Use the phrases from above while discussing your interpretations of conducting. This collaboration reinforces both language skills and your understanding of musical concepts.
By implementing this shadowing site method, you can effectively prepare for scenarios like the IELTS speaking practice and boost your overall English proficiency while enjoying the fascinating world of music.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.