On the Principles and Practice of Conducting is a practical manual for building musical understanding and physical skills, intended for anyone who stands on a podium with the intention of helping an ensemble make music. The four main chapters address the major obligations of the conductor: 1) bringing the musical tones to life in the most expressive way possible; 2) clearing the mind in order to fully hear the tones; 3) ridding the body of unnecessary tension; and 4) successfully connecting the physical gestures to the sounds. Each chapter begins with a summary of the underlying principles, going on to present real-life applications and offer exercises for developing skills. Video demonstrations of the exercises as well as downloadable scores and parts are available on a companion website. The parts, in multiple transpositions, allow for hands-on experience where standard instrumental complements are unavailable. Markand Thakar is music director of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and a member of the graduate conducting faculty at the Peabody Conservatory. A protégé of the legendary Sergiu Celibidache and former assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic, his annual conductor training programs draw hundreds of students from around the world. Thakar is author of Looking for the "Harp" Quartet: An Investigation into Musical Beauty (University of Rochester Press, 2011) and Counterpoint: Fundamentals of Music Making (Yale University Press, 1990).