Happy New Year! Reading books seemed to fall out of fashion and into crisis for a time, but some signal seems to show an increased appetite for reading. There are plenty of great books out there to feed the minds of conductors who want to hone their rehearsal technique. Here are five I’ve read recently that are worth your time.

1. Rehearsing the Full Orchestra. (public library) Sandie Goldie’s latest contribution to the long running series examines work with full orchestras, including great chapters from Mark Laycock and Felipe Morales-Torres. It also includes an excellent short primer on choral-orchestral conducting from Erin Freeman, an essential primer for instrumental conductors looking to lead a combined choral-instrumental ensemble with ease and musicianship. Each chapter is almost like a clinic from that conductor, with collegiate, youth orchestra, and other perspectives represented. Laycock is a personal favorite, emphasizing musicianship and expression “from day one,” echoing Bob Duke and many others and deeply resonant with my philosophy. That said, it’s a practical book with advice you can implement right away.

2. Teaching Music with Passion: Conducting, Rehearsing, and Inspiring. (public library) Peter Boonshaft’s classic pamphlet includes valuable advice from many years teaching students and inspiring teachers. His “pearl” concept is critical - hone something, anything to perfection in a rehearsal, and then use that perfect little “pearl” as the yard stick to measure other progress. Set a standard and then let the musicians apply that standard to other situations. He brings many other conductors like Toscanini, Casals, and Beecham into the story, as well as sweet moments from his own students. (Casals’ rehearsal book, mentioned here, is on my reading list for 2025!)

It may come off as a bit too conversational for some readers, and a bit too saccharine for others, but it will be just right for many, many more. This conductor was glad to have spent the time.

3. Peak Mind. (public library) Effective rehearsal boils down to the ability to own your own concentration in order to put a spotlight on what matters. Focus is increasingly hard to find in our increasingly distracted world, but Amish Jha has boiled down a universe of complicated neuroscience into a 100% practical guide to training and reclaiming your own attention. I personally meditate for her prescribed 12 minutes each morning to help find my focus.

I’m not the only conductor to make use of this book – Jason Caslor at Arizona State University recently spoke highly of it in a recent interview. Jha herself can be found on many podcast interviews as well - another way to get some of the basic insights.

4. Let's Talk: Make Effective Feedback Your Superpower. (public library) This was a happy accident! I was looking for a different book and accidentally ordered this one. I was glad I made the error: Therese Huston writes a book on effective feedback. This book can be read in many ways, including as a way to talk to colleagues and direct reports, coach individual students, and I found it useful when thinking about effective feedback in a rehearsal setting. I use this blog to speak technically about rehearsal, but at all times, there is a core set of relationships with our musicians that must be considered in how we phrase our feedback. Huston delivers on effective feedback that preserves relationships.

5. Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things. (public library) Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at Wharton. And what are conductors, if not the leaders of a practical organizational psychology lab? Each time we start and stop, we run an experiment.

Grant encourages three “character skills” that he identifies as the basis for high achievement in teams, all of which apply in spades to the culture found in performing ensembles like orchestras, bands, and choirs. Middle School Orchestra Teacher (and lifelong friend) Les Sellers uses these at the core of his teaching philosophy and even has giant posters to remind his students that their goal is to:

1. Become an imperfectionist.

2. Become a sponge.

3. Become a discomfort-seeker.

Each of these books has affected the way I make music with everyone from young kids to seasoned professionals. From practical tips to personal insight, they are a great place to start when mapping out your year of reading and growth in rehearsal leadership.

Let me know your best recommendations in the comment below, or reach me here!