How does one conductor create a completely different musical result from another, despite comparable levels of technical proficiency? How do conductors inspire the musicians before them? What intangible forms of communication are in operation whilst conducting? Can they be identified and explored? Can they be taught? Conducting can be understood to be an exchange of energy and innate leadership. The physical technique of conducting may be the means to communicate musical data such as style, dynamics, tempo and articulation, however the essence of the art of conducting exists beyond (and often despite) the technique. Pedagogical approaches to conducting teach the technique, however it appears that there is not an accepted method to teach communication skills that are beyond the technique and therefore students of the art of conducting are expected to develop these skills on their own. My research explores the existing knowledge related to conducting from a broad range of disciplines. Using a phenomenographical approach, participating musicians were interviewed to gain an understanding of the experiences and perceptions of conducting from a variety of perspectives. Understanding how musicians experience conductors’ intentions as they are subliminally communicated provides a unique insight into their reception of those intentions. The outcome of this research includes a hypothesis of what might be done to assist in teaching the intangible elements of instrumental conducting based on insights uncovered through analysis of the collected data
