The importance of a musical director

A musical director is somebody who leads a band either during rehearsal or live performance.

For a live performance a musical director could be a conductor of an orchestra or a brass band. They are required to keep the beat and to indicate how sections of a piece should be played. This is essential for a band because it means they are all playing at an appropriate pitch and tempo. Without the conductor acting as a metronome it could all fall apart.

Smaller bands such as rock bands may hire a musical director to make time efficient decisions and constructive suggestions in order to make the most of their time. For a rehearsing musician time is valuable; especially for those with a tight schedule or a paid rehearsal space.

A musical director can be a member within the band itself. This has its benefits and possible flaws. It saves money and also means that the nature of the song has already been identified. To explain to someone else what they require from a song may be time consuming and difficult to convey accurately. On the other hand, a member of the band, who may not direct rehearsals professionally, may be slow to reach an acceptable outcome. They may also be biased in certain aspects. To have somebody unrelated to the band making additional suggestions, they have an honest opinion of how a member of the public may perceive the music.

A musical director needs to demonstrate a set of qualities in order to achieve an outcome. They need to be honest with band members, even if it means dealing with stubborn ones. This means telling them what they're doing wrong and how they could improve. They shouldn't be afraid to stop a band playing a song instantly if they need to make suggestions. The director should be able to discipline the group and be willing to reject ideas put forward by other band members with the best interests in mind.