Visual Fixation Patterns of Undergraduate Brass and Woodwind Musicians on a Conductor While Playing an Instrument and Reading Music

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the visual fixation patterns of undergraduate brass and woodwind musicians on a conductor while playing an instrument and reading music. The factors influencing the ability to view a conductor are explored, including the actions of the conductor and the structure of the written music. A within subjects repeated measures design was employed to explore the questions of participants’ visual fixation patterns. Participants (N=22), who were members of auditioned bands at three universities in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, performed a solo written for this study while viewing videos of an expressive conductor, a non-expressive conductor, and an electronic conductor equivalent. Results showed that participants fixated on the Expressive conductor more than the less expressive conductors. The low overall fixation duration compared to the high percentage of alignment with the conductors’ gestures seem to support the use of peripheral vision by participants.