Podcast Summary: "Patty Marx Conducts an Orchestra"

Podcast: The New Yorker Radio Hour
Host: David Remnick
Episode Date: December 27, 2019
Main Contributors: Patty Marx, Bernard Labadie, Kelefa Sanneh
Featured Orchestra: Orchestra of St. Luke’s

Episode Overview

This episode offers a playful yet revealing exploration of the art (and apparent simplicity) of orchestra conducting through the eyes of humorist and writer Patty Marx. Determined to see if she can pull off conducting, Marx is granted a "trial run" with the prestigious Orchestra of St. Luke's under the mentorship of Bernard Labadie, a renowned conductor. The segment blends Marx’s wit with a genuine attempt to understand what goes into guiding an orchestra—and whether having a sense of rhythm and free time is nearly enough.
The episode then shifts to a discussion on the history and breadth of Christian rock, led by New Yorker staff writer Kelefa Sanneh, who highlights its genres, evolution, and cultural impact.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Patty Marx's Conducting Adventure

(00:22–11:47)

A Writer's Dream Career

• Patty Marx, known for her humor columns, fantasizes about trying her hand at orchestra conducting—a profession she admits has always seemed deceptively simple. ("As a writer, I spend a lot of time at my computer thinking of careers I should have chosen instead. And high on my list is being the conductor of an orchestra." — Patty Marx, 00:22)

Meeting the Maestro

• Marx is introduced to Bernard Labadie, distinguished conductor, who patiently walks her through the basic mechanics of reading a score and the intricate gestures used in leading musicians.
• The Haydn Symphony No. 45 is chosen for her conducting debut—a mercifully "light" piece compared to larger works.

The Myth of the Baton

• Marx brings her own baton (“from Amazon: $8”), leading to playful banter about the necessity and dangers of the tool:
  • "It's not an absolute necessity... it focuses the message." — Bernard Labadie (04:20)
  • Labadie recounts a baton-related injury: "I'm well known in Quebec City for having stuck one of these up my nose in rehearsal and ending up in emergency room in the hospital." (04:53)

Conducting: More Than Waving Arms

• Labadie demystifies conducting:
  • It involves gestures adapted to different musicians, more improvisational than strictly choreographed.
  • "I'm dancing ahead of the orchestra, because my job is to convey through my gestures how I want the music to sound... We are usually one beat ahead." — Bernard Labadie (03:10)
  • “Sometimes some conductors have a very weird conducting technique... but the results are fabulous.” — Bernard Labadie (03:31)

On the Podium: Reality Bites

• Marx describes her own nerves and improvisation, admitting she had little idea what she was doing:
  • “...I think, shit, I can't do this. It's terrifying.” — Patty Marx (05:11)
• With Labadie’s guidance, she attempts to manage tempo and unity, while humorously noting the orchestra’s apparent ability to function without her help.

Adding Flair: Patty’s Style

• Deciding to 'stand out', Marx tries flamboyant gestures—pointing, leaping, yoga, “swatting flies”—all in a bid for personal style.
  • “Maybe it's like every other conductor on the block. I decided I wanted to stand out.” (08:02)

Musician Feedback and Self-Reflection

• Marx interviews an orchestra member (Melanie, double bass) who gently suggests “shows improvement.”
  • Patty quips, "If there’s another baton accident, call me Patty Marx." (10:25)
  • “If this were a report card, you’d say, 'shows improvement.' No kidding. Keep your day job." — Patty Marx (11:33)

2. Kelefa Sanneh on Christian Rock

(12:57–22:28)

Origins of Christian Rock

• Sanneh explores how rock music intersected with Christian evangelism in the late 1960s and '70s, with Larry Norman’s “Upon This Rock” (1969) seen as foundational. Norman participated in “Christian Woodstock” (Explo 72) alongside Billy Graham.

Evolution, Influence, and Subculture

• Sanneh and Remnick discuss how Christian rock adopted the sounds of the times, emphasizing lyrics over style. “There’s always been big money in Christian rock... parents willing to buy their kids Christian rock albums to keep them on the up and up.” — Kelefa Sanneh (18:07)
• Noteworthy artists and anecdotes highlighted:
  • Phil Keaggy, renowned for guitar virtuosity, sometimes eschews lyrics for instrumentals, broadening the genre’s scope (15:16).
  • Leslie Phillips (later Sam Phillips), notable for her crossover appeal and labeled the “Christian Cyndi Lauper.”
  • Extol, a Norwegian metal band demonstrating that even extreme genres can be “Christian” as long as lyrics align (19:24).
  • mewithoutYou, a band that reflects the genre’s countercultural, multi-faith threads, influential in Christian indie circles.

Defining Christian Rock’s Borders

• Sanneh points out the genre’s flexibility: styles range from punk to pop to metal, depending largely on lyrical content—but sincerity remains its throughline. "Christian rock could mean a whole lot of things, but the religion is sincere." — Kelefa Sanneh (20:02)
• He underlines the genre’s mainstream influence, mentioning artists like Katy Perry, bands like The Killers, Imagine Dragons, and Paramore, whose roots lie in the Christian music scene (21:53).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Conducting vs. Appearance:
  “You cannot really trust what you see, because sometimes some conductors have a very weird conducting technique... but the results are fabulous.”
  — Bernard Labadie (03:31)

• On Overconfidence:
  "I decided I wanted to stand out. I want now to create a visual repertoire. I want to put my personality into my technique... I'm playing with my hair here. I started doing a little yoga."
  — Patty Marx (08:02)

• On Christian Rock’s Breadth:
  “For Christian rock, there often was this sense that the lyrics are what matter. And as long as you’re singing about God, the music can sound like anything.”
  — Kelefa Sanneh (18:22)

• On Mainstream Infiltration:
  “There really is a wide number of different kinds of Christian rock music, and oftentimes people are listening to it even when they don’t know they are.”
  — Kelefa Sanneh (21:53)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:22 – Patty Marx introduces her conducting quest and anxieties
• 01:27 – Meeting Bernard Labadie; basic orchestral education
• 03:10 – Labadie explains the essence of conducting
• 05:11 – Marx faces reality on the podium
• 08:02 – Patty Marx experiments with adding flair
• 10:25 – Marx reflects on her performance; comic self-assessment
• 12:57 – Kelefa Sanneh begins segment on the history of Christian rock
• 15:16 – Phil Keaggy’s influence and sound
• 19:24 – The metal band Extol’s unique Christian edge
• 21:53 – Contemporary influence of Christian rock

Episode Tone and Style

• Patty Marx’s narration is irreverent, sharp, and self-deprecating, bringing humor and humility to the high-art world of orchestra conducting.
• Bernard Labadie is patient, knowledgeable, and witty in his teaching.
• The latter half, with Kelefa Sanneh and David Remnick, is conversational, journalistic, and exuberant about highlighting surprising histories and subcultures in American music.

Summary

This episode is both comedic and illuminating, using Patty Marx's earnest (but haphazard) attempt at conducting as a lens into the invisible art of leading musicians, demystifying the apparent glamour while celebrating those who make it look easy. It also delivers a brief but insightful tour through Christian rock’s past and present, showing how musical form, lyrical content, and cultural context mix in unexpected ways.

For further reading: Kelefa Sanneh’s article on Christian rock can be found at newyorker.com.