The Gesture Enigma: Reconciling the Prominence and Insignificance of Choral Conductor Gestures

Autor/inn/en	Jansson, Dag; Haugland Balsnes, Anne; Durrant, Colin
Titel	The Gesture Enigma: Reconciling the Prominence and Insignificance of Choral Conductor Gestures
Quelle	In: Research Studies in Music Education, 44 (2022) 3, S.509-526 (18 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Jansson, Dag)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1321-103X
DOI	10.1177/1321103X211031778
Schlagwörter	Singing; Nonverbal Communication; Music Activities; Foreign Countries; Phenomenology; Competence; Music Education; Pattern Recognition; Norway; Sweden + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Gesang; Non-verbal communication; Nonverbale Kommunikation; Musikalische Aktion; Ausland; Phenomenological psychology; Phänomenologie; Psychologie; Kompetenz; Musikerziehung; Mustererkennung; Norwegen; Schweden
Abstract	Curious as to why conducting gesture are both acknowledged and ignored by choral singers, this article investigates the enigmatic nature of the act of conducting. Education and research are biased toward gestural aspects of the choral conductor role. At the same time, research shows that gestural skills rank strikingly low compared with other musical skills and interpersonal skills. This study endeavors to unpack this enigma, based on 40 interviews with choral singers and conductors in Norway and Sweden. Taking a phenomenological approach, analysis of the fieldwork reveals that singers are more aware of gesture when something out of the ordinary happens, is unclear, or is even particularly appealing. The enigmatic role of gesture is partly due to conceptual ambiguity--gestures are signals that conductors "do" as well as embody the integral conductor "being." Moreover, four "enigma busting" contextual dimensions were found: complexity of the music, the irreplaceability of gestures in the specific situation, singers' receptiveness to gestures, and the gestural proficiency of the conductor. The article points at some implications for education as well as future research. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01