Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a conductor? Are you inspired to take to the podium and be the next ‘maestro’ like Leonard Bernstein, London Symphony Orchestra’s Sir Simon Rattle, Venezuelan virtuoso Gustavo Dudumel or Australian star Simone Young?
Central Coast Conservatorium Artistic Director and conductor, Patrick Brennan, is sharing his years of diverse training and experience with the baton in a Conducting and Music Teaching class in Gosford’s Robert Knox Hall on Friday evenings.
The program is aimed at senior high school and tertiary musicians and offers the opportunity to extend their orchestral music education in conducting and musical pedagogy. It provides essential skills and knowledge to help students develop as a musician, teacher, and conductor.
Under the leadership of Patrick Brennan, this program is delivered in a small, focused group, and includes practical, theoretical, and fun sessions and explores the following topics:
- How to teach a musical instrument to students using a structured approach
- How to conduct an ensemble using basic conducting techniques
- How to run engaging and productive rehearsals and sectionals
- Mastering the art of practising an instrument at an advanced level
- Developing effective audition techniques
- Planning and delivering musical events and performances
- Participating in masterclasses
- Developing skills in leadership including managing conflict, motivation, giving praise and criticism, communication and problem-solving
Patrick Brennan brings many years of diverse training to the course offering a multi-point-of-view technique. Patrick is the conductor of several orchestras and ensembles including Central Coast Youth Orchestra, Central Coast Concert Band, Opera in the Arboretum’s Central Coast Chamber Orchestra, Central Coast Philharmonia and Regional Youth Orchestra NSW.
Patrick was a participant of the Australian Conducting Academy (ACA) in 2020, which included conducting the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra under the mentorship of Maestro Johannes Fritzsch along with a selected group of Australia’s elite emerging conductors.
He has now been awarded, through a competitive process, the opportunity to research the ACA through an industry partnership between Griffith University and the Australian Conducting Academy that will include a brief longitudinal research project (PhD) investigating the pathways of conductors from tertiary education through to conducting on the world stage.
The Conducting Program is open to current CCYO and SWO students as well as external students who are members of an orchestral program. Starts Friday 3 May, 6-7pm, Robert Knox Hall.
The extension conducting class is free for high school aged ensemble students (SWO and CCYO). Places are limited.
Students interested in joining the conducting program should apply via Enrol tab on our website HERE
