Conductor's Baton

Description

What do you do when you have a few sticks left over from making a game of Spillikins? While sitting on the floor one night near the bowl where I had left a few finished sticks, I realized that they are the perfect size for a baton! I promptly turned a handle out of some redheart I had sitting around, set the slim birch stick in the handle, and voila! A beautiful tool for conducting music.

I test-conducted a few rather energetic songs from a CD of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe and was delighted with the baton. The beautiful, naturally red, smooth sanded handle fit perfectly in my fingers, and the balance between the handle and stick is wonderful. I rather wish I had a need to conduct music on a regular basis so I would have an excuse to keep this for myself.

A printed plaid suedecloth case with a snap is included. The case is made from and lined with scrap fabrics I had in a storage bin, so I’m not entirely sure of the content. The color on the picture of the case was a little washed out. I tried to correct it, but have also included a direct scan of the fabric. The lining is a black broadcloth-like fabric.

The gender-neutral colors of both the baton and case make this an excellent gift for whoever leads the music in your life, whether it be a presentation for a school or church choir director or band teacher, a thank you gift for a community theater music director, or a Christmas gift for the armchair symphony enthusiast in your family.

Total length 11 inches
Handle length 1 7/8 inches

Added on Aug 03, 2009