In Conversations with Joseph Flummerfelt Thoughts on Conducting Music and Musicians Donald Nally presents a window into the mind and heart of one of Americaamp39s most celebrated and distinguished choral conductors. Through questions from Nally his former student Flummerfelt provides a captivating narrative tracing his formative years and influences his most important artistic collaborations and his approach to conducting and music. The conversation further develops into a philosophical discussion on cultural influences and obstacles in art how one teaches conducting and the foundations of ensemble musicmaking.Through these intimate conversations Flummerfelt reveals his life art and ideas from his close collaborations with some of the worldamp39s greatest orchestral conductors to his work as Artistic Director of Westminster Choir College. The topics range from his approaches to style conducting gesture sound generation and choral sound to the psychology of musicmaking and the contemporary environment of artmaking. Nallyamp39s interview style captures the energy and rhythm of Flummerfeltamp39s speech so that the conductoramp39s ampquotvoiceampquot and passion is easily perceived and the material is presented as a highly organized yet spontaneous and free conversation.Flummerfelt discusses his early career influences from such musicians as Robert Shaw and Nadia Boulanger and reveals his thoughts on composers like Igor Stravinsky Samuel Barber Benjamin Britten and Olivier Messiaen. The more than 30 photos present a visual record of Flummerfeltamp39s collaborations with many of the great musicians of our time and a biographical timeline a list of collaborating orchestras and conductors and a discography are also included.