h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This article was well written, however, when or why did you come up with the idea? Do not get me wrong, it was good, but I could never think of a topic as obscure as that.

Awesome! I had no idea they did anything but wave their arms about. A real eye-opener.

What a great entry! As a music teacher and someone who conducts choirs often I thought it was so witty...loved the section on the meaning of dynamic terms..mf, f etc.....Really fun to read!

it was easy to come up with it really. I have until recently been the conductor of a student ensemble. Now that I'm leaving theyt don't have anyone who knows how to conduct, so I thought a good guide would be a useful start for the potential new maestro.

Glad you've enjoyed reading.

Conducting a choir is so different from an orchestra I think. I tend to work with younger kids and do lots of actions etc with songs so that is what I use my hands for!

I've conducted brass bands and choirs. I regulraly lead a kids choir too, and as you say this provides a different challenge, however the complications of choral conducting (let alone for children) are far greater than instrumental and would surely require an entirely seperate entry.

Would make an interesting read though.

How old are the kids in your kids choir? I have a choir of Year 2 kids all aged 6 and 7, a year 3 choir and a junior choir of 7-11 year olds. They always exceed my expectations! I teach music in an infant school and a primary school.

The Kids in my chior are between 6 and 16!!! I have between 12-20 in total depending on who turns up. Oh and I don't have a pianist so have to bash away and teach them the songs at the same time in practices and borrow a pianist when we sing out.

They're a great bunch but it is quite hard to keep the older ones interested but the music (and more importantly lyrics) simple enough for the younger ones.

In my littlies choir I sing and play and a colleague does the action bit. In my other one at teh Junior school I borrwo a pianist like you!
Thye really need the focus of teh conductor. Thats a big age range, tricky. I find foreign langauge songs always a winner..but Im probably teaching my grandmother to suck eggs here! I just am passionate about my job, it is so exciting when kids make music and sing.

oh believe me I'm a real newbie to this. I've probably been leading my kids about a year and a half, so I'm no real authority on it.

In fact I've only been conducting for the last 3/4 years. It helps having played and sung under some good conductors though.

I'm hoping to do my PGCE next year and be a music teacher, but at senior school level.

I am no authority believe you me! I really need to start conducting properly..I try and pick up what I can by watching experts!

This article is quite outrageous , and I'd love to know who wrote it, and what qualifications they have to write it. I am a professional orchestral musician, and to be quite honest, I'm not sure if this was written half tongue-in-cheek. If it is a serious article, all I can say is no wonder there are so few really top class conductors if this attitude is being advocated by a so-called expert. Someone following these directions would certainly get short-shrift from most professional orchestras. Come on, the days of the omnipotent conductors has passed and the ones that succeed are far more likely to be ones that want to work WITH their well-trained and well-schooled colleagues.

I wrote it, and if you can't tell it's tongue in cheek maybe you've had your tongue surgically removed. Or maybe your sense of humour.