Tag: conductor

  • Conductor Profile – Andreas Berko

    Andreas Berko

    Written by Heather Louden

    New Conductor Has Us Singing His Praises

    The Calgary Youth Choir has welcomed a new youth choir conductor, Andreas Berko, as the interim conductor while Artistic Director, Marni Strome is away for the year on sabbatical. Andreas began with the choir in September 2017, but he and his family are no stranger to the group. All four of Andreas’ children are current members of the choir and his wife, Kathryn Berko, conducts the Calgary Children’s Choir. It seems only natural that Andreas be the next addition. Still, don’t let his connections fool you, Andreas holds many musical qualifications himself.

    “He’s very talented and very musical, with a good personality that goes well with the kids,” says the choir’s business manager, Linda White.

    Andreas received his Bachelor of Music with a focus on education and a Bachelor of Education degree with a focus on Music Education, from the University of Calgary. He then obtained a Masters in Educational Technology from the University of Lethbridge and completed his practicum with the Western Canada High School choir.  Andreas explains that his field of study was largely impacted by his involvement in music at a young age. Beginning piano at seven and then joining various Calgary choirs both inside and outside of school, Andreas continued pursuing his passion for music throughout his youth and well into adulthood.

    Andreas says he is looking forward to working with such an experienced choir. “It’s nice to make music with [the kids]. It’s nice to be involved in a two-way conversation where I’m not always the one telling them what to do.”

    Andreas speaks to how capable the choir is, making it his goal to encourage the choristers to “come out of their shells” and reach their full potentials. He engages the youth in this by encouraging them to be completely involved in the music making experience by listening to, and experimenting with their own sound. He takes a very personalized approach to direction by giving one-on-one feedback to the choristers throughout rehearsal.

    Andreas says, “[One- on one feedback] is the most efficient way to give constructive criticism in a small ensemble which such advanced singers.”

    Andreas said he attributes his conducting methods to his previous choral teachers and draws inspiration heavily from his first conductor, Gerald Wirth, who is now the conductor of the Vienna Boys’ Choir.

    Andreas has already impressed us with how quickly he has bonded with the choristers and we look forward to seeing him in action at our first concert of the year!

    *Tickets for the Calgary Children’s choir Christmas concert are now available for purchase here.

    Calgary Children's Choir

  • 4 Conductor Secrets

    4 Conductor Secrets

    #1. We can see EVERYTHING:

    For real.

    It’s a prerequisite for conductors to have extra ‘nonsense’ senses, but we’re at the front of the room, and often we’re standing while choristers are sitting. We can see you, choristers. Even when you think you’re being sneaky and hiding your phone, or a snack, or a gerbil, behind your music. We can see you.

    #2. Mistakes are not a problem:

    Many choristers feel immediate embarrassment when/if they make a mistake, especially if their fellow choristers react, or give them some side-eye. Conductors can almost always catch these mistakes too, but our reaction is different. For us, mistakes are par for the course, especially if we’re all still learning a piece. When we hear a mistake, we don’t think ‘uh oh, that’s not right,’, we think ‘I know how to fix that,’. Mistakes are not a problem, and should not be a source of embarrassment.

    #3. We think about the beat A LOT:

    For the most part, choristers are thinking largely about breathing and tone. And while conductors are thinking about those things as well, we spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about the beat. Because we have to set it, and set it well, not just for the choristers, but for the accompanist, and for any other musicians playing along. We also have to think about maintaining a steady beat, while thirty other voices try to push and pull at the rhythm.

    #4. We know how you feel:

    We won’t make absolutist statements, but there are exceptionally few people who are conductors, who have not also been on the other side of the stand. Which means, that we know exactly how it feels to be conducted. We know which hand movements we prefer, which cues we need, and what kind of energy we want to feel from the conductor. Which is why we as conductors try to send that back out to our choristers.

    i-feel-you

    What other secrets do you think conductors might have? Tell us in the comments below!

    Calgary Children's Choir