You can learn a lot from Dave Clark.

A multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has played with the likes of Rheostatics, Gord Downie, The Dinner is Ruined and Rock Plaza Central to name but a few, he’s pretty much a Canadian indie rock icon. I mean, this is the guy who played on both Melville and Whale Music, two of my favourite albums (not to mention the Rheostatics’ best work).

These days Clark’s time is split between imparting his years of experience as a music teacher and acting as a producer/session musician from his Toronto-based Bon’s Cave Recording Studio. I’ve recently had the good fortune to make his acquaintance and, I’ve got to tell you, this guy is a born educator.

Over the course of a beer (or three) the other night he dispensed sage advice on everything from coming up with a good stage name (I had the gall to complain about “Paul Watson” being too generic before realizing who I was speaking to—Dave Clark Five anyone?), microphone tips and strategies to help keep sane while working from home (which both of us do).

It’s no surprise then, that he’s also recently put together a book. Called How To Conduct …Yourself! Conducting Cues For Instant Musical Composition, the book defines and illustrates an array of gestures meant to help eager jam-leaders everywhere conduct their sessions with utmost spontaneous fluidity—a veritable glossary of music based sign-language. A few flips of the page and you’ve got an arsenal of non-verbal cues up your sleeve to facilitate the collaborative experience (not to mention a bunch of goofy pictures of Clark himself). The perfect stocking stuffer for that hard-to-buy-for musician in your life, perhaps?

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I saw a few copies of How to Conduct…Yourself! on the bookshelf at Soundscapes, otherwise you can order it here.

Of course, if that’s not your thing, then you could always give Clark’s music a listen instead, as he still finds time to flex his songwriting muscle. Evidence of which can be seen in Zunior’s latest attempt at a live webcast, which you can view here.

He’s also playing with the Woodshed Orchestra at Tranzac on Dec. 22.