Eyes on the conductor: understanding musicians’ visual focus of attention while viewing a conductor
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This paper explores the relationship between ensemble musicians and conductors, focusing on the visual attention and cognitive processes involved in interpreting conducting gestures. Through a review of existing literature, we establish a foundational understanding of how musicians allocate attention and process visual cues from a conductor in real-time performance. Chapter 1 discusses the perceptual demands placed on musicians, emphasizing the importance of attentional resources needed to accurately respond to a conductor's gestures. Chapter 2 presents a study on the visual focus of ensemble musicians during a live rehearsal, revealing how musicians engage with the conductor’s face, hands, and baton to track tempo, expressivity, and musical coordination. Chapter 3 details a pilot study that laid the groundwork for investigating musicians' visual attention patterns when viewing conductors through eye-tracking technology, providing insights into the effectiveness of controlled experimental setups. Chapter 4 expands the pilot study by examining how musicians allocate attention to various focal points of the conductor, finding that the face and torso are prioritized in the interpretation of conducting gestures, with the baton receiving comparatively less focus. Collectively, the findings highlight the complex, goal-directed nature of visual engagement in ensemble performance, offering valuable insights into how musicians navigate the conductor-performer interaction to achieve synchronization and expressive performance.
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Review of literature -- Understanding ensemble musicians' visual focus of attention while playing -- Pilot: musicians' allocation of attention while viewing static images of a conductor -- Musicians' allocation of attention while viewing static images of a conductor -- Overall discussion
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Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)