My fellow course conducting masterclass colleague Joshua Yong, sent me the video of my rehearsal of Brahms today. It may not have shown but I was really nervous on the podium. It was my first time in front of a symphony orchestra. Having Maestro next to me, guiding me, was really helpful and helped to calm me a little.
When you attend a conducting masterclass like this, age does not really matter. I was as nervous as the youngest person there! But it was interesting watching all of them worked with the orchestra and getting advice from Maestro. It was clear that each of them brought with them their talent, passion for music and the desire to learn as much as they could. Though I did not take notes, I managed to pick out the best from each of them and I will try them the next time I conduct. I believe this is the huge benefit of attending masterclasses. You not only learn from the masterclass tutor but also from each fellow participant. I am really glad I took part in the masterclass. I learnt a lot and I made so many new musical friends.
Key reminders from the video:
- Posture
- Tempo
- Beat pattern (not too big!)
- Resist moving unnecessarily
- Eye contact with musicians (really important)
- know your score
- KNOW your SCORE
- Smile (: and appreciate the orchestra
You can view the video of my conducting session on the Brahm’s Variation on a Theme by Haydn here: https://goo.gl/vQaMfg
Muhamad Yusri 
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