After Schönberg had left the private bank Werner & Co he conducted the male choir of Meidling and a workers' choir "Freisinn" in Mödling as well as the metal workers' choir of Stockerau.
Conducting a choir means to breathe with singing people. This is a good training that provides a solid knowledge as regards the instrumentation of an orchestral movement as can be seen in Schönberg's case. This helped to shape his style of rehearsing in the Society for Private Musical Performances.