Top Ten Interview Mistakes
Dennis M. Barden wrote a post entitled “Top Ten Interview Mistakes” at the Chronicle for Higher Education that’s pure gold! (Having in the past three years taken a few job interviews, sat on a few hiring committees, and helped students prepare for job interviews has led to more than a passing interest in job interview preparation for me.)
As I read this link I think I have observed all 10 of his points happen when sitting on the hiring side of the process. I can only hope I haven’t actually executed these items in the top ten.
You can find the article here at the Chronicle for Higher Education.
Minnesota Orchestra’s Osma Vanska
I was in Chicago October of 2012 to visit some friends and get some business done. During my visit a friend and I decided to attend the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s performance of the Brahms Double Concerto and the First Symphony with Bernard Haitink conducting.
Upon arriving outside symphony hall, we were greeted by some CSO musicians, dressed in black, who were handing out little flyers. These flyers read, “THE CSO MUSICIANS SUPPORT THE MUSICIANS OF THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRA.” I thought it was a bit unusual, but not unlikely that musicians of the CSO would do this, given that they were going through a rocky patch with their management.
Then, after I entered the theater and opened my program it dawned on me. Bernard Haitink was not conducting that evening, as scheduled. Osma Vanska, rather, was conducted in his place. Vanska, Music Director of the Minnesota Orchestra, was out taking other work (conducting the world’s best orchestras) while his own orchestra sat locked out in Minneapolis.
Sure, this sort of thing happens. And, sure, conductors are often accused of not standing to management up for the players. But, Vanska, actually wrote a letter to management. You can find the letter here.
We shall see what develops by September!
The Law of Reproduction
(Note: This is part of a series based on John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.)
John C. Maxwell has written a number of books about leading and leadership. They all have their merits and some of the books will resonate more with some readers than others, but it is his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership that provides some delicious food for thought for us in the conducting business.
Law Number Thirteen (or, Chapter Thirteen, as titled in Maxwell’s book) is called “The Law of the Reproduction.” The byline for this chapter reads, “It takes a Leader to Raise Up a Leader.”
Admittedly, Maxwell’s title for this chapter is an eye-catcher.
(No. Not that kind of reproduction.)
When Maxwell once conducted a poll asking leaders in his leadership conferences what prompted them to become leaders, he got this result:
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Natural Gifting 10%
- Result of Crisis 5 %
- Influence of another leader 85%
Truly informative numbers when it comes to the cultivation of leadership. It shouldn’t be a surprise that most leaders need mentors, heck most conductors crave mentorship and most all of us have had some great mentors in our past (or present). But what do you do when you have a terrible mentor? More on that in a future post. Stay tuned.
Following in great steps is a typical course for great leaders. For great leaders must be cultivated and follow a great example. Take a look at who Maxwell cites, the great football coach, Bill Walsh:
For those of you who know football, just take a look at that impressive “family tree” of leadership!
Maxwell states that “only leaders are capable of developing other leaders. People cannot give to others what they themselves do not possess.” Students of conducting would do well to observe their teachers well. Do they show strong, compassionate, and organized leadership skills? Are they thinking of the benefit of the ensemble, or only of themselves. Someone who is a terrible leader can only give you that: terrible leadership skills. (Sure, it’s true that we can learn what not to do from bad leaders, but that’s the “long-way-’round” to productive leadership. It’s much more effective to go find a good leader to follow.)
Not all great leaders take the time to develop other leaders. (Such as football great, Vince Lombardi, who didn’t have many acolytes.) Why is that? Some leaders don’t see the value in developing other leaders, and some are just poor teachers of the craft. For some leaders, the problem lies with their own insecurity. (A real problem in the conducting world!)
(Put this guy in a tux and hand him a baton.)
Maxwell goes on to state, “We teach what we know, we reproduce what we are.” You learn from your leaders the ways of doing business in an orchestra, the way to treat people, to conduct business, to manage a rehearsal, to coordinate many moods and personalities, not to mention perspectives. When you grew up performing in an ensemble, you couldn’t help but be influenced by your conductor’s behavior. That’s the way it is for you once you are a conductor: the group notices your behavior, your values, and your actions. And, they reflect them.
The only way you’ll develop leaders is to become a better leader yourself. Maxwell states, “Keep in ind that leaders who develop leaders…
SEE THE BIG PICTURE — Every effective leadership mentor makes the development of leaders one of his highest priorities in life.
ATTRACT POTENTIAL LEADERS — Leaders don’t flock, you have to find them one at a time. But, as the Law of Magnetism suggests, the stronger leader you are, the stronger potential leaders you’ll attract.
CREATE AN EAGLE ENVIRONMENT — An environment where leadership is taught becomes an asset to a leadership mentor. It not only attracts ‘eagles’ but it also helps them learn to fly.”
Maxwell sums up the development of leadership thus, “It all starts at the top because it takes a leader to raise up another leader. Followers can’t do it. Neither can institutional programs. It takes one to know one, show one, and grow one. That’s the Law of Reproduction.”
Manager, Persuader, Demagogue – Information, Inspiration, Intimidation
I recently ran across Ross Douthat’s column from last year during the Republican primaries for president – (1/21/2012 – A Good Candidate is Hard to Find)- It’s an interesting piece and I think it is a good addition to the discussion on this blog. Douthat typically talks about politics and is counted (like David Brooks) as one of the Times conservative columnists.
Rather than complaining about a weak Republican presidential field which was the common thread at the time, Douthat offers up a trio of traits that are important for presidential candidates regardless of partisan orientation – and his central point of the article is summed up here, “The problem, perhaps, is that a successful presidential campaign calls on a trio of talents that only rarely overlap.”
He goes on to talk about the fact that most of our presidents have only truly had at most two of the three talents, and only a few (some of those guys up on Mt. Rushmore plus FDR) actually carried all three. I found this idea especially interesting to connect to Brian’s previous post – What is Your Leadership Style? Both list three leadership traits or styles that I think could be the same ideas but seen through different lenses.
Here are the 3 traits from Douthat’s list summarized:
A Great Manager: be the C.E.O. of his or her campaign, with a flair for fund-raising, an eye for talent, and a keen sense of when to micromanage and when to delegate. This is the arm-twisting, organization-building, endorsement-corralling side of presidential politics, and not surprisingly it tends to favor insiders and deal-makers
A Great Persuader: capable of seducing undecided voters with his empathy, or inspiring them with what George H. W. Bush (who lacked it) called “the vision thing.”
A Great Demagogue: capable of demonizing his enemies and convincing his supporters that they stand at Armageddon and battle for the Lord.
I think it is easy to relate these to Brian’s leadership styles – Inspiration, Information and Intimidation. Demagogue requires a little bit of stretching, but it can work.
What I really enjoyed about Douthat’s article is the idea of being strong in one or two of these, but the truly great presidents (or any leader) contained all of these abilities. I find it fascinating to think that we as conductors have a multitude of leadership abilities and styles. And our job requires us to fluidly move and utilize these depending on the context and needs of the situation at hand.
Hideo Saito
Conducting is, pedagogically speaking, a young art form. The first two real conducting “textbooks” were published in 1950. That year saw the publication of Max Rudolf’s The Grammar of Conducting and Nicolai Malko’s The Conductor and His Baton. Sure, others have written about conducting in the past, especially in the Romantic Era, when the need for conductors as we think of them today arose, but we don’t find much in the way of “how to” books about conducting prior to 1950.
Hideo Saito was a conducting pedagogue from Japan that developed a very particular philosophy about conducting and conducting technique. Essentially, the technique focuses on acceleration and deceleration to and from beats (I think of it as energy to and from a beat), but of course it’s more detailed than just that.
Here’s a video of Saito working in rehearsal (sorry there’s no translation of the Japanese):
Wayne Toews is the current leading teacher and acolyte of the Saito method. Here’s an interesting video of him demonstrating some of the basic technique:
One of the things I find most fascinating is how we are still finding our way about how to teach conducting! Forget even teaching how to study a score! (See maestro Mengelberg’s below:)
The Law of Empowerment
(Note: This is part of a series based on John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.)
John C. Maxwell has written a number of books about leading and leadership. They all have their merits and some of the books will resonate more with some readers than others, but it is his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership that provides some delicious food for thought for us in the conducting business.
Law Number Twelve (or, Chapter Twelve, as titled in Maxwell’s book) is called “The Law of the Empowerment.” The byline for this chapter reads, “Only a Secure Leader Gives Power to Others.”
Conducting an orchestra (or any ensemble) is odd business, if you think about it. When I am asked about what it is I do, I usually wind up telling the person who asks that I am “the only person on stage who isn’t making a sound.” That usually doesn’t seem to occur to the other person. “Oh yeah, you’re right… you’re just holding a stick and waving your arms!” True, but we conductors know it’s much more than that, right?
Empowerment is a big word for me. I believe it is the conductor’s role to empower the ensemble to make almost all the important choices. Chief among those choices has to be listening, but you can add pulse, balance, blend, phrasing, and a host of others. The truly great conductors seem to know where the balance is between empowering their group and when to step in and make important decisions.
Maxwell begins this chapter discussing the American legendary businessman and industrialist, Henry Ford.
(Henry Ford)
Henry Ford is credited with many positive things about industrialism and production. But, all of his moves were not successes full of positive acheievement. Take, for instance, his beloved Model T. He believed so much in the design of the car that he never wanted it changed, or even tinkered with. One day his engineers presented him with a prototype of a “new and improved” Model T, featuring new designs and the latest in technology. Ford was so furious at the engineers that he reported ran over to the car, ripped the doors off their hinges, and proceeded to take the car apart with his bare hands! For 20 years the Ford Motor Company only offered the Model T, which Ford had developed. It wasn’t until 1927 that Ford finally agreed to offer a new car to the public – the Model A. The Model A, unfortunately, was behind the competition in design and features, and by 1931 Ford Motor Company only held 28 percent of sales in the USA.
Ford was the opposite of an empowering leader. He was insecure, controlling, and manipulative. He even went so far as to create a socialogical department within Ford Motor Company that monitored the private lives of his executives. It was Ford’s ego that nearly drove his company into bankruptcy in the 1930s. The company was about him and his ego, not about the product line, or even the contributions of the intelligent, creative people who worked for him.
Henry Ford II, son of Edsel Ford, eventually became the president of the company, at a time when the company was losing $1 million a day. Edsel felt he was in over his head. So, what did he do? He went out and found the best and brightest people he could! By 1949 Ford was on a roll and sold more than a million Fords, Mercurys, and Lincolns that year. Sounds like things were going well, right? Henry Ford II was a very insecure person, and only secure leaders are comfortable giving some of their power to others. The more insecure Ford II became, the more he began to undermine his executive staff, pitting them at times one against another. These behaviors naturally led to eventual firings and resignations.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Isn’t that important to us as conductors? Get good people on staff, or good musicians in your group, and don’t get in their way!
(Theodore Roosevelt)
No one benefits if you, as conductor, alienate good people and strong leaders. One thing I say quite often is, “A rising tide floats all boats.” If people in your organization are elevating standards, let them contribute.
What are the barriers between a leader and empowerment? Maxwell provides a list:
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Desire for Job Security
- Resistance to Change
- Lack of Self-Worth
Regarding number one above, we in the conducting business know how hard it is to get work. For some conductors it is far easier to win a job than to keep it. For some, the opposite is true. I have seen many a conductor operate out of fear: their decisions are based almost solely on the fear they will lose their job. Even worse, they fear that someone will have a “better” idea or method than them, and they will lose their job.
John Wooden once said, “Not all change is progress.” So, while some conductors are resistant to change (think how many orchestra conductors program!), change for change sake is not necessarily progress.
Maxwell correctly states, “Many people gain their personal value and esteem from their work or position.” When a person doesn’t have confidence from within, they struggle to empower others.
Mark Twain once remarked that, “Great things can happen when you don’t care who gets the credit.” This is probably the biggest emotional hurdle for most conductors; they want full credit for all the beauty and greatness that can happen on stage. It’s once that desire for credit disolves that truly great things can happen. The conductor begins more focused on what they are doing rather than how they are doing.
(Abraham Lincoln)
Abraham Lincoln was known as a leader who sought to empower others. The fascinating book, Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin tells of Lincoln’s thirst for differing opinion. He was not threatened by others’ opinions, and considered it to be a healthy trait to seek out balance. In June of 1863, Lincoln sent a letter to General George G. Meade, who was newly appointed as commander of the Army of the Potomac.
“Considering the circumstances, no one ever received a more important command; and I cannot doubt that you will fully justify the confidence which the Government has reposed in you. You will not be hampered by any minute instructions from these headquarters. Your army is free to act as you deem proper under the circumstances as they arise… All forces within the sphere of your operations will be held subject to your orders.”
Lincoln’s leadership style instilled confidence and authority to those willing to accept it (such as Ulysses S. Grant). Our leadership, as conductors, can instill the same sense of confidence in our musicians.
A key to empowerment is belief in other people; when you push people down, you go down with them. Enlarging others makes you larger, and it makes your ensemble larger. That is the impact of the Law of Empowerment.
The Search for Inspirado – Breakthrough
I just came across this incredible footage of the largest glacier calving ever captured on film. The footage is beautiful and kind of frightening, but I also found it inspiring.
Being a father to an almost 2 year old now, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we develop as humans as well as how we develop as musicians and conductors.
I remember being incredibly frustrated at various times in school with my practicing. I would get to a certain exercise or excerpt and just feel stuck. It seemed that in spite of how much time I put in, or how often I kept banging my head against the wall that was that particular exercise or excerpt, I just couldn’t move forward – I couldn’t make it happen.
When I really started studying conducting, I found myself again frustrated at various points in similar ways. I remember attempting to get my left hand to be purposeful, musical, meaningful and not just a thing that flailed about while I was conducting (still working on that one). I also remember working on difficult technical passages full of meter changes – like in Appalachian Spring at Reh 35 – and just not being able to be consistent in the patterns and unable control my own internal time.
And while I was in the weeds of trying to solve these problems, it just seemed impossible that any improvement or change was going to happen. But at some point, when I wasn’t really expecting it, or when I had just given up worrying about it, a breakthrough would happen. And suddenly, I could understand what was needed and (just as importantly) actually do it.
I think this video shows that even when the surface appears to be very static and unmoving, an enormous amount tension and activity is taking place beneath. In our study and practice, it’s important to remember that moments of incredible breakthrough can and do happen even if the pace seems glacial.
