I have another concert coming Saturday, November 5th, 2011. We are playing Symphony No. 4 by Tchaikovsky, and Suite from Rodeo by Aaron Copland. We have a guest conductor, and I must say he runs a good rehearsal. I hate to say it but we tend to goof around in rehearsals, much to the chagrin of the conductor. Our guest conductor is Kendell Nielsen, who teaches at Layton High School in Layton Utah.

It's been a long time since I have had a director that pushes the group to greater perfection. When I was in high school at Woods Cross High, I had Steve Richins as my band and orchestra teacher. He was a very vivacious leader who could get a wonderful sound out of any group.

I had a different experience in the Utah State Alumni Band under Dr. Max Dalby. He could conduct with the smallest amount of movement and get great changes in sound and interpretation.

A lot of people who aren't musicians (and some who are) don't understand the silent communication between musicians as they perform. Probably the closest you can see on TV/film is in the American remake of "The Man with One Red Shoe." The scene at the performance where you have a three way with some of the musicians-that unspoken communication-is probably the closest. When you are performing, there is a lot of eye contact and peripheral vision with one another. Things from starting and stopping together, speeding up or slowing down, stretching phrases (to let the music breathe), and to other aspects of playing are all communicated silently. I'm probably going off the subject, but to bring it back, the conductors that have been the best are the ones where that communication is there. I have fond memories of Steve and Max. Unfortunately, both have passed away, but their teaching has lived on in many generations of musicians.

Kendell Nielsen is in the same class of conductor/teacher as Steve Richins and Max Dalby. I am very excited about our upcoming concert, because it is going to sound great. If you live in the area, this concert will be at Weber State University in the Austad auditorium at 7:30. I also highly recommend going to the Layton High band concerts.

I have had a lot of wonderful conductors and I do not mean to slight any of them with this blog.