At a recent reunion, I talked with two other members of my high school jazz band. While all three of us enjoyed the music we played back in the '80s, I also remarked on how consistently even-tempered our director, Mr. B., was. In two years of rehearsals and concerts, I never saw him get angry. Not once did he tell us that we'd offended the spirit of Duke Ellington or Count Basie. When the band's read-through of a tune was somewhat anemic, he mentioned matter-of-factly what needed to be fixed--and then, we fixed it. As a result, the band improved steadily from rehearsal to rehearsal and didn't play any subpar concerts.
I wish certain orchestra directors for whom I played had emulated Mr. B.'s even-keeled approach to conducting.
