I love this video. One of the things I discovered was painting ideas and changes in a positive light. “Drums, help me bring the house down on the bridge”. Vs “play louder drums”. So many people just yell in the spur of the moment, but with the right tone and phrasing you can get your team to want the big picture along side you. The last thing you want is a musician or band walking on egg shells, it sounds bad, and you hear it a mile away. It’s all about keeping people in the headspace.
Thanks so much for this man. I've been a player for 30+years. About 17 of those playing live. I'm stepping into the position of MD in a new, really promising project. I really appreciate you taking the time to share what feels to me to be the truth.
Bro honestly, this was an incredible useful and well done explanation. I like that you started with what an MD is NOT. I’m a keyboardist looking to get into becoming an MD so I appreciate you taking the time to explain this position bro. God bless you 🙏🏾
One way to gain respect from other band members is to encourage their suggestions. If you know the music inside out the other band members will sense that and accept your suggestions. It's important to listen to their suggestions as well.
Wonderfully put! I've been blessed to have worked with two terrific MDs (I recorded with one whom is better known as a television producer). Both are superb musicians but also great communicators.
this is great information. I agree that expectations must be realistic based on the band you have. Everybody has diffrent skill levels and you wouldnt pick a james fortune song with people who can’t play in all there keys or they are still learning. It won’t work, the md must make it so the whole operation/service is a success.
I love this explanation! Very well done. I'd love to work with you! : ) haha It's a real challenge to be a leader and I love the way you break it down as to what it's not! : ) The most important ability is to be able to communicate very well to others! : )
Thank you for this video sir. I'm from South Africa. I'm the MD of our church band and I'm really struggling with one of our drummers. He has his own way and not the way we as a band going. Would love to watch more videos of this topic "Being an MD". Yes, I think a MD in a band is very important cause if there's no one leading or directing the band, then no one will know which way to go. They'll get lost.
Plss how do you create a balance where you as music director is the one playing the keyboard, directing the choir, lead singer without a bassist you have to split the keyboard to play bass, so how do you create a balance
Great video. An MD is important because amongst others skills, facilitative and coordination skills assist bands to deliver exceptional performances. Having a competent MD can be a stress reliever for band members, as it allows members to focus on improving musical technique and producing stella performances.
Nice video! Are you experienced in modern church music like Bethel, Hillsong …? I‘m working as a church musician and MD and I wonder if you could put up a video with more practical details like how exactly you do your calls, what vocabulary you use for things like dynamics, cues, harmonic information and how you communicate with say the FOH (pre or during the show) or and other people in charge e.g. ministry team, pastor, MC… That would be really nice to have your thoughts on these topics! Keep up the good work!
As a aspiring composer that’s at the middle of the career, it’s obligatory to us to know a little bit of direction at least. I’m personally kinda terrified lol, however, I understand that part of this position for someone like me would be for me to lead the players to as close of an outcome that I imagined un the first place. So I guess, to some extent I know what my position is.
Thanks so much for this video. It came at the appropriate time for me. In many African churches here in Canada, we have the worst music directors. Question: what does one do in a situation where the MD's musical knowledge is not up to bare average, but insists upon himself/herself?
I know nothing about music 🫤 So I came to learn what is the job of an MD Unfortunately I didn't get it 😕 The music is already written. The music sheet shows musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. I am guessing they cannot be changed. So if the music sheet shows the notes, times, duration and order of the sounds, why a MD is needed? 🧐
The actors have the script and all the notes and everything they need to act in a movie. So why is a movie director needed? A sports team's players say in football, has and know all the important plays. They know the field and can easily play the game. So why is a coach needed? See the point??
@@tonicrvnts The MD, play or movie director, and sports coach are there for an important reason. They are there to cast a unified vision or plan to follow in order to achieve a particular goal or objective. The MD is not there to teach or show any individual musician how to play notes on a piece of paper. The MD is there to help the band as a whole achieve a goal. For instance, let's say there is a piece of music that needs to be played "funky." Sure, you could write this on sheet music and give it to the individual musicians. But, the problem is that each individual musician may have a different idea of what "funky" is or what it means. So, you possibly have 5-10 musicians on stage playing a song in a way that THEY think is "funky." So...the MD casts the vision of what "funky" is and directs each player to that specific goal. Now, instead of a bunch of individual ideas of "funky" being played, which likely is very chaotic, you have a more unified version of "funky" being played. This is a very simple example of the reason for an MD, but it points to the purpose of a MD...
Yeah, it's not necessarily the keyboard players that are the MDs. I've seen it be pretty much every different musician ins a band. Though, keys player are probably the most common.
Hi, do you necessarily need to be a really great singer before you become an MD? I am a drummer, in humility I'd say I've never learnt the piano or bass or saxophone, but I believe I know how to put sounds together, but I'm really not a great singer and it scares me a lot when I have so much ideas to share but I can't vocalize it the way I want, what can yoh advise me to do?
Learn basic music theory, learn the notes, learn music harmony and watch your ideas come to life, if possible learn the piano, it’ll help you with your ideas.
You haven’t said anything about composing a poem.I believe composing is the most important role of a music director.You don’t need to be a leader.once a poem is composed there after there no need a director any more!
Just got a MD position. Thanks for this!🔥🤝🏾
hows it been going?
I'd be super interested in talking about it
Whoa this is amazing info! Thanks for dropping these gems!
All good bro! I always appreciate the love!!!
I love this video.
One of the things I discovered was painting ideas and changes in a positive light. “Drums, help me bring the house down on the bridge”. Vs “play louder drums”. So many people just yell in the spur of the moment, but with the right tone and phrasing you can get your team to want the big picture along side you. The last thing you want is a musician or band walking on egg shells, it sounds bad, and you hear it a mile away. It’s all about keeping people in the headspace.
Thanks so much for this man. I've been a player for 30+years. About 17 of those playing live. I'm stepping into the position of MD in a new, really promising project. I really appreciate you taking the time to share what feels to me to be the truth.
Bro honestly, this was an incredible useful and well done explanation. I like that you started with what an MD is NOT. I’m a keyboardist looking to get into becoming an MD so I appreciate you taking the time to explain this position bro. God bless you 🙏🏾
One way to gain respect from other band members is to encourage their suggestions. If you know the music inside out the other band members will sense that and accept your suggestions. It's important to listen to their suggestions as well.
Wonderfully put! I've been blessed to have worked with two terrific MDs (I recorded with one whom is better known as a television producer). Both are superb musicians but also great communicators.
Thanks! Yeah, it's always great to be able to perform with a great MD! It makes things a lot easier and smoother!
Great information. Appreciate your honesty about what to expect when working towards being a Musical Director and a musician period
Thanks! I appreciate it!
this is great information. I agree that expectations must be realistic based on the band you have. Everybody has diffrent skill levels and you wouldnt pick a james fortune song with people who can’t play in all there keys or they are still learning. It won’t work, the md must make it so the whole operation/service is a success.
Well said man, appreciate you laying this out like this.
I’m not MD material at all. I don’t think I could ever pull it off anytime soon.
I love this explanation! Very well done. I'd love to work with you! : ) haha It's a real challenge to be a leader and I love the way you break it down as to what it's not! : ) The most important ability is to be able to communicate very well to others! : )
Thanks man, I appreciate it! And who knows...maybe we will be able to work together one day...
Thank you for this video sir. I'm from South Africa. I'm the MD of our church band and I'm really struggling with one of our drummers. He has his own way and not the way we as a band going. Would love to watch more videos of this topic "Being an MD".
Yes, I think a MD in a band is very important cause if there's no one leading or directing the band, then no one will know which way to go. They'll get lost.
Thank you so much Mr. Terrence
Plss how do you create a balance where you as music director is the one playing the keyboard, directing the choir, lead singer without a bassist you have to split the keyboard to play bass, so how do you create a balance
Great video. An MD is important because amongst others skills, facilitative and coordination skills assist bands to deliver exceptional performances. Having a competent MD can be a stress reliever for band members, as it allows members to focus on improving musical technique and producing stella performances.
SPEAK ON IT!!
I found this video very helpful. Thank you
Nice video! Are you experienced in modern church music like Bethel, Hillsong …?
I‘m working as a church musician and MD and I wonder if you could put up a video with more practical details like how exactly you do your calls, what vocabulary you use for things like dynamics, cues, harmonic information and how you communicate with say the FOH (pre or during the show) or and other people in charge e.g. ministry team, pastor, MC… That would be really nice to have your thoughts on these topics!
Keep up the good work!
Thank you brother God bless you
Your tips were really helpful ❤
As a aspiring composer that’s at the middle of the career, it’s obligatory to us to know a little bit of direction at least. I’m personally kinda terrified lol, however, I understand that part of this position for someone like me would be for me to lead the players to as close of an outcome that I imagined un the first place. So I guess, to some extent I know what my position is.
Thanks so much for this video. It came at the appropriate time for me. In many African churches here in Canada, we have the worst music directors.
Question: what does one do in a situation where the MD's musical knowledge is not up to bare average, but insists upon himself/herself?
Can you explain what a tour programmer and arranger
Does?
i want to know ,like what are the tips that i should incorporate in our music band performance when we are playing ??
❤Thank you so much sir
Amazing explanation bro 👌👌🔥
Nice video!
Awwww I love this toooo
Thank you chief
I know nothing about music 🫤
So I came to learn what is the job of an MD
Unfortunately I didn't get it 😕
The music is already written. The music sheet shows musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chords of a song or instrumental musical piece. I am guessing they cannot be changed. So if the music sheet shows the notes, times, duration and order of the sounds, why a MD is needed? 🧐
The actors have the script and all the notes and everything they need to act in a movie. So why is a movie director needed?
A sports team's players say in football, has and know all the important plays. They know the field and can easily play the game. So why is a coach needed?
See the point??
@Terence Fisher No. I don't see the point 🫤
You can play in a musical band, play a sport, act in a play without the need of a MD or coach
@@tonicrvnts The MD, play or movie director, and sports coach are there for an important reason. They are there to cast a unified vision or plan to follow in order to achieve a particular goal or objective.
The MD is not there to teach or show any individual musician how to play notes on a piece of paper. The MD is there to help the band as a whole achieve a goal.
For instance, let's say there is a piece of music that needs to be played "funky." Sure, you could write this on sheet music and give it to the individual musicians. But, the problem is that each individual musician may have a different idea of what "funky" is or what it means. So, you possibly have 5-10 musicians on stage playing a song in a way that THEY think is "funky."
So...the MD casts the vision of what "funky" is and directs each player to that specific goal. Now, instead of a bunch of individual ideas of "funky" being played, which likely is very chaotic, you have a more unified version of "funky" being played.
This is a very simple example of the reason for an MD, but it points to the purpose of a MD...
So is the musical director mainly the lead keyboardist in the band
Sometimes. Drummers, bassists, and guitarist can be MDs too
@@JamesJoyner ooh
Yeah, it's not necessarily the keyboard players that are the MDs. I've seen it be pretty much every different musician ins a band. Though, keys player are probably the most common.
Hi, do you necessarily need to be a really great singer before you become an MD?
I am a drummer, in humility I'd say I've never learnt the piano or bass or saxophone, but I believe I know how to put sounds together, but I'm really not a great singer and it scares me a lot when I have so much ideas to share but I can't vocalize it the way I want, what can yoh advise me to do?
Learn basic music theory, learn the notes, learn music harmony and watch your ideas come to life, if possible learn the piano, it’ll help you with your ideas.
@@ObiChukwudumebi-j7k thanks for responding, really helpful
Cool guy
You haven’t said anything about composing a poem.I believe composing is the most important role of a music director.You don’t need to be a leader.once a poem is composed there after there no need a director any more!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯