conclusion

Throughout our study of this topic our understanding of what a conductor's role is has been we have discovered that some believe that the conductor is a vital component of music education, some believe that a conductor can assist any group to understand the composers intentions and others believe that the conductor themselves is not neccessary. It would then be safe to say that the most important factor in terms of music education is the mentor and their ability to assist the student. This mentor can in many cases come in the form of a conductor but is not neccessarily in the formal role. This mentor could be in the form of another instrumentalist/vocalist, a peer, a role model or a teacher.
During the Canberra International Music Festival, many conductors and performers, both professionals and students, came from all around the world to work together and produce something fantastic. Through this experience We think it is safe to say that everyone has taken away a valuable lesson. Those students who were working with professionals were able to experience what it would be like to work in a professional ensemble and the professionals learnt the valuable lesson of adaptability when working with young people. Over this month or so we have gained a better understanding into what it means to be a conductor. You don't just keep the beat and tell the musicians how to play. You coach them, assist them and act as a security blanket if things don't go so well. As a coach, you are able to make the ZPD smaller ,especially for students, so as to help the musicians reach their full potential.