Relationships between Perceptions of Conducting Effectiveness and Ensemble Performance

Abstract

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The Effect of Conductor Expressivity on Ensemble Performance Evaluation

“…Performance evaluations in all these studies were carried out by individuals who listened to audio recordings and did not see the conductors. In a case where the conductor was seen, Van Weelden (2002) found moderate relationships between perceptions of conductor effectiveness and several variables, including facial expressions, and ensemble performances.…”

Acoustic Analysis of the Interaction of Choral Arrangements, Musical Selection, and Microphone Location

“…For example, African American conductors were perceived as superior for directing gospel music and less skilled for directing Western art song. 14,15 There may be a similar relationship between what conductors or audiences see in a choral arrangement and perceive in the choral sound, regardless of the sound produced by the chorus. This leads to two possibilities for future exploration, one perceptual and one acoustic.…”

“…Van Weelden 12,14 found that using conductors of different sex and race changed the perception of the choral sound, even when the listeners heard the same chorus recording for every conductor condition. She found that listeners had different expectations for conducting skills based on the race and the sex of the conductor.…”

Importance of Communication Cues in Music Performance according to Performers and Audience

“…Body movement serves for conveyance of emotion (e.g., Dahl & Friberg, 2007;Krahé, Hahn, & Whitney, in press) or the manner of expression (e.g., Davidson, 1993;Ohgushi, 2005: Vines, Krumhansl, Wanderley, Dalca, & Levitin, 2011. The posture of conductors affects performance ratings (Van Weelden, 2002). Facial expression plays a role in the decoding of performers' expressions (Ohgushi & Hattori, 1996;Thompson & Russo, 2007;Wöllner, 2008).…”