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To those of you that conduct, would you mind answering some questions for me, either here or privately?

I'm auditioning for a conducting TA and have been given Suite Francaise, by Milhaud. I've never performed this piece, but I have a scrore and a good recording of the London Wind Orchestra conducted by Denis Wick so I'm set there.

Question one, do you conduct the second movement in a slow 2 or a quick six? To me it feels in that ackward tempo where 2 is to slow and 6 is to quick.

Question two, movement three is in cut time, but has a driving eighth note most of the piece giving what appears to me to be a four feel; would it be acceptable to conduct parts in four and parts in two switching back and forth with the melodic line?

I'm sure I'll have more questions the more I study the score, but here are these for the moment.

Thanks.

The cut-time movement I prefer all in 2. The slow movement, however, I like in six. I understand what you're saying about it being "too slow in 2 and too fast in 6" but maybe this will help:

Try making your pattern a hybrid of both, like a sub-divided two. One and four are the big beats, with 2, 3, 5, and 6 being small. This will also allow you to stretch and pull more easily if you want to.

Hope this helps.....

Thank you all for the advice, I really do appreciate it. I'm at the CMEA conference right now and just got back from a conductin clinic with the CU Boulder Wind Symphony under the direction of Allen McMurray and got lots of good tips and such. Maybe I'll run into him this week and be able to pick his brain.