Over the last few months, I have noticed a shift in my practice.
During my PhD process, I recorded rehearsals as part of my reflective practice. That has continued beyond the doctorate and remains central to how I evaluate and develop my conducting.
Through this process, I began to recognise something quite clearly. I was talking too much about the wrong things, and the way I was structuring information was not always clear.
I also noticed that I wasn’t letting the baton and gesture say enough. There was too much talking and not enough focused dialogue. The result was that the ensemble responded, but not in a way that created immediate change or moved things forward.
In practice, this often meant I was addressing multiple elements at once. For example, I might comment on articulation, balance, and phrasing within the same instruction. Each point was valid, but presented together they lacked a clear priority, so the ensemble was left to decide what to respond to first.
Rehearsal requires dialogue, but that dialogue needs to be clear and purposeful. When too many ideas are layered on top of one another, the clarity of what needs to be addressed first is lost.
What became clear is that when one main issue is addressed properly, it often resolves two or three others at the same time. Instead of trying to fix everything at once, focusing on a single priority gives the ensemble something clear to act on.
Alongside this, I became more aware of the relationship between verbal instruction and gesture. The baton is not there to accompany what is being said. It is a primary means of communication. If it is not doing enough work, something is out of balance.
When I became more deliberate in what I said and allowed the gesture to lead, the rehearsal shifted. The response became more immediate, phrasing became clearer, and the ensemble began to take more ownership of what was happening.
Dialogue still has an essential role. It is not there to fill space or provide constant instruction. It is there to clarify, to frame, and to support what the gesture is asking for. When both are working together, the rehearsal becomes more efficient and more focused.
What changed for me was not the amount of communication, but the intention and structure behind it. Saying less is not the goal. Saying what is needed, identifying what matters most, and allowing the gesture to do the rest is what creates clarity.
Dwight Pile-Gray is a conductor and researcher specialising in Culturally Informed Conducting (CIC).
