BOOK REVIEW: Fr Paul (Stetsenko). The Nuts and Bolts of Conducting Technique (St Tikhon’s Monastery Press, 2023)
Reviewed by Alice Hughes
The Nuts and Bolts of Conducting Technique by Fr Paul (Stetsenko) is a textbook for learning conducting. It was specifically written to address the needs of choir directors in the Orthodox Church. That said, it approaches the art of conducting from a much broader place, while also breaking down specific techniques into bite-sized pieces. Much of the book would be useful to any musician studying to be a conductor.
As a reviewer, the first question I had was, “Can you teach conducting from a book?” Fr Paul actually addresses this question in his introduction to the book, “Why Technique?” The short answer is decidedly negative. To learn the art of conducting, one needs the regular feedback and coaching of a mentor and an ensemble with which to work regularly. A mentor is necessary to point out incorrect or confusing gestures and to help the student grow. The longer answer is no—but you can learn a lot about conducting from a book. Fr Paul has a remarkable ability to break down specific techniques into smaller pieces to learn specific aspects of conducting gestures. He is actually quite scientific in his approach. He also creates exercises that a budding conductor can use to learn and practice these techniques. Partway through chapter 2, “The Seven Basic Strokes of Conducting,”I was struck by the need for a series of short learning videos as a companion to this book. As I read further, the idea of a video series to accompany the book stayed with me as the obvious next step.
Each chapter of Nuts and Bolts moves the reader to a new technique or a new understanding of how to conduct a particular musical idea.<…>
