What does a Session Conductor do?
It's a common question: How is conducting in a recording session different from conducting on stage? While stage conducting involves working night after night with a specific orchestra, session conducting is usually a contracted, one-time-only job performed by professional composers, orchestrators, and conductors who work in or around the film, television, and video game industries. For these professionals, session conducting work is a repeatable way to earn money while networking and staying involved with their field.
At a Glance
The professionals who work as session conductors are usually also composers, orchestrators, arrangers, stage conductors, orchestral musicians, or some combination of the above. Because experience in a film or television recording session is critical for a session conductor, it's rare for seasoned stage conductors to suddenly dive into session conducting without prior experience in those fields. On the contrary, most session conductors work in or around the film, television, and video game industries for some time before they conduct their first session, getting their start as composers' assistants, film orchestrators, or orchestral musicians.
Finding work as a session conductor is all about connections—not just with music contractors and music directors, who usually hire conductors, but also with film composers, who have a lot of power in choosing who conducts their work. Aspiring session conductors should start by working as a film orchestrator, composer, or orchestral musician to learn the ins and outs of the process.
- Conducting
- Music notation (reading and writing)
- Instrument skills
- Music theory
- Orchestration
- Scoring
Like their stage counterparts, session conductors serve as the emotional center of the orchestra. They must be affable, soothing, and likable, while also capable of intense passion for the music they conduct.
Depending on how much music is being recorded, a conductor’s job on a given film can take anywhere from one day to more than a week. A very small field of regulars consistently conducts for film and television.
