Conducting technique isn't just a matter of making the right gestures. What you do with your hands has to start from inside you. The musical feelings in your heart, the rhythm in your guts, and the knowledge in your mind all need to inhabit your hands, however unorthodox your style, and then get across to the orchestra. This ability to communicate and energize is a gift, not unlike an actor's ability to “reach” an audience; the best baton technique in the world is inadequate without it. Any conductor blessed with this priceless gift needs to make the most of it by developing his art and craft to the full.

Most conductors start by learning a basic way of beating, then adapt or abandon it with experience. Their styles vary widely, because they've developed them in different ways. A strict textbook style inhibits our artistry and self-expression, although it was necessary while we were finding our feet. In our own way, we begin by conducting the beats and end up conducting the music.