Taste, Emotion, and the Conductor’s Dilemma
Taste without emotion is sterile; emotion without taste is naïve. Together, they form the art of conducting.
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Author: Craig Dabelstein
Craig Dabelstein is the founder of Maxime’s Music, a publisher dedicated to reviving the forgotten world of 19th-century music through recordings, editions, and translations. An instrumental music teacher and conductor, he spends his time unearthing lost repertoire, translating historic texts, and arguing—sometimes loudly—that music should move people before it impresses them.
“Old Rubbish”? Why Wind Band Music Has No Museum
Wind band music is one of the last great frontiers of musicological recovery. It is fragmented, scattered, and often difficult to decode—but it is there. And it is waiting.
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The Least Criticised of All Musical Genres
We have plenty of sound. What we need now is soul — and criticism involves the courage to ask whether the music we’re playing deserves to be played.
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Let the Music Speak: The Case Against Pre-Performance Commentary
If the music is compelling and the performance is strong, the audience will respond—no words necessary.
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The Challenge of Honest Communication in Music Education
A reflection on Fred Fennell’s warning about emotionally superficial repertoire and the argument that music education must prioritise honest emotional communication over mere technical achievement.
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