All of you out there that perform music know that there is a certain point you reach in your practice where your piece stops being a series of single notes, and turns into music. You reach a level of proficiency that enables you to see the direction and purpose of the lines. Once you get to this stage you are able to make the music mean something, and interpret it in your own way. This is my favourite part of practicing.
Just recently I realized that this exact same progression exists for conducting. I have spent a year and a half learning patterns and gestures, and I have just reached the point where I can make my conducting mean something more. The mechanics of conducting have started to become automatic, and I can now start using it to show meaning and direction. This gives me hope that I won't always have to concentrate on the pattern, or where my left hand is sitting, or where I need to cue next.
Everything in music requires practice so that the mechanics become automatic. Then you can reach beyond the technique to the music.
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