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<\/a>\u201cI think I went to university too young,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019d won the scholarship when I was 16, and at 17 I was there. I was very lucky. It was an incredible experience but I was too young to appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since then, Jackson has conducted across North America and Europe. And during his extensive career, he’s come up with a unique perspective on his job.<\/p>\n
\u201cA conductor is really like a glorified traffic cop,\u201d he says. \u201cYou really only need to look at a junction. It\u2019s what I call traffic flow, controlling the traffic. It\u2019s all done at rehearsal, really, and at the performance I think you just let them go and play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dealing with the personalities of a big orchestra can be something of a challenge, depending on the style of approach a conductor chooses to take. Jackson says it can be very easy for conductors to become megalomaniacs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are two ways of leading an orchestra: the first is with a stick, which you hit them over the heads with,\u201d he says. \u201cI tend to lead with a carrot, so you are educating\u2014you bring it out of the person, you don\u2019t beat it out of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jackson believes that the conductor is like a referee for the composer, advocating on their behalf to make sure that the music is heard the way the composer originally intended.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone has to be in charge,\u201d he says. \u201cIf you let everyone have a say in a 100-piece orchestra, you have total anarchy. But that doesn\u2019t mean that the conductor has to be a dictator.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the challenges of conducting, Jackson has an obvious love for the career he has dedicated the better part of a century towards.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing will ever beat live performance,\u201d says Jackson. \u201cIt\u2019s more than just an aural experience, it\u2019s a visual thing, it\u2019s a collective energy level that comes off the stage and hits an audience.\u201d<\/p>\n