During a performance, music conductors are in charge of keeping the musicians on track. Depending on the size of the organization, a music conductor may have several responsibilities, but his primary responsibility is to lead a group of musicians through their musical performances using hand-based signals that indicate musical elements such as beat and dynamics. The conductor may carry tools to assist him in indicating parts in the song, or he may do it entirely by hand, depending on the type of musical group. The music conductor may also be the band leader in some organizations. The tempo, or speed, of a piece is determined by the beat, and dynamics determine how loud a part or piece should be played.
A music conductor usually stands in front of the musicians who are performing in front of them. He gives the performers a signal when a musical performance begins, telling them how fast the piece will be played and when to begin. Before beginning to perform a piece, they usually count down a partial or whole measure to indicate tempo to the musicians. A conductor will usually keep a steady beat with one hand while using the other to communicate with the musicians, such as when they should play and when they should cut off long notes, when a musical piece is being performed. When it’s time for a musician to play a musical solo, the conductor will often point to him.
A music conductor is an all-around leader of the band in some organizations, and is in charge of organizing the group, selecting musical selections, and conducting practice. A conductor may also just be a conductor, responsible only for the hand signals that keep the beat during rehearsals and performances. A marching band will frequently have two musical conductors because this allows the conductors to be seen from a different perspective by the performers. A musical conductor can communicate his hand signals to the members of the musical group using a variety of conducting tools, such as batons and maces.
A baton is a term used to describe any type of conducting stick, whereas a mace is a long stick with a heavy ball at the end. For entertainment purposes, both maces and batons can be spun and thrown, but this is usually limited to marching band performances. The music conductor is often referred to as the drum major in a marching band.
What a conductor wears during a performance is largely determined by the type of musical group he leads. A conductor of a classical orchestra will frequently wear formal attire, such as a tuxedo. Conductors in marching bands typically wear uniforms similar to the rest of the band, but at the discretion of the band leader, they may also wear formal attire such as dresses and tuxedos. Jazz band conductors are often both leaders and conductors of their bands, so they usually dictate their own style of dress as well as the style of dress for the rest of the band.