While there is no single characteristic that distinguishes a conductor’s stand from a musician’s stand, the one common point that conductors’ stands seem to share is that they are much sturdier (and very often larger) than traditional music stands. normal. Additional strength and size can be incorporated into a support in a number of different ways.
A bigger and stronger tray
Since conductors often have to manage many more pages of music at once than musicians, it makes sense for conductors’ stands to have larger trays (the part of the stand that holds the music). Since sheet music comes in all sizes, these larger trays can be wider, taller, or both. A typical size is a double-width tray for easy folding of sheet music books.
These trays can also be made larger by adding a double shelf (the shelf is the part of the tray that prevents sheet music from falling to the floor). A stand with a double shelf, one a couple of inches below the other, creates a sort of mini-compartment that’s especially handy for a driver because you can use it to store things like canes, pencils, and other accessories without getting in the way. with the sheet music on the top shelf.
In addition, it is also common for conductor trays to be made of stronger or thicker materials because they will have to support more weight. A good example of this is the opera director’s music stand. With this design, the tray is three-dimensional with raised edges. Consequently, sheet music cannot slip off any edge and is much safer. The tray of an opera stand also usually has lighting built into the tray itself, so there’s no need to worry about an attached light fixture falling off.
Stronger and multiple axles
The main support mechanism of a music stand is the spindle, which connects the tray to the base (the part that touches the ground). To support the greater weight of the music that a conductor needs, the shaft is usually stronger as well. For example, this can be achieved by making the shaft thicker and/or made of stronger materials. Other director’s stand designs include brackets with double spindles, sometimes including a connecting crossbar for added strength, and brackets that do not use the standard post-shaped spindle, but instead have rectangular-shaped spindles that offer four corners. support up. and down.
A separate feature of the axles on these stands is that they have much greater height adjustment, as a driver will often be standing on a raised platform while steering. However, this benefit does not come with all director supports, and a potential buyer should be sure to check it out.
Basics with greater stability
In keeping with the same theme, the base of a director’s stand is usually much sturdier and more stable than that of a regular stand. One style involves the combination of a double axle along with a connecting bar between the two bases. Another style ditches the typical three-leg base in favor of a platform design. This makes tipping the stand nearly impossible. Still other styles include the use of a four-legged base or a modified three-legged base with a much lower and wider leg span. This also makes tips much less likely.
Conductor’s Music Stand Cost
Finally, as you can imagine, along with all the added strength and stability, there are two consequences to consider.
One is that a conductor’s stand will typically weigh more than a standard musician’s stand and potentially be less easy to transport. The other consideration is that naturally things that are bigger and stronger are also more expensive. Without getting into the use of special materials, an approximate overall cost of a conductor’s music stand will be about fifty percent more than twice the cost of a regular counterpart sheet music stand made by the same manufacturer. (Some models cost even more.) That may sound like a premium, but most drivers find the quality and added benefits well worth the cost. In fact, many musicians use smaller conductor’s stands because of their greater strength and stability, as well as convenient added features like a double shelf or extra-wide tray.