Beyond synchronization

Abstract

In the Western art music tradition, among many others, top ensembles are distinguished on the basis of their creative interpretation and expressivity, rather than purely on the precision of their synchronization. This chapter proposes that visual cues serve as social motivators during ensemble performance, promoting performers’ creative engagement with the music and each other. This chapter discusses findings from a study in which skilled duo musicians’ use of visual cues (eye gaze and body motion) was examined across the course of a rehearsal session. Results show that performers are driven to interact visually: (1) by temporal irregularity in the music and (2) by increased familiarity with the music and their co-performer. Synchronization success was unimpaired during a “blind” performance where performers could not see each other. Ensemble musicians thus choose to supplement their auditory interactions with visual cues despite their visual interactions offering no apparent benefit to synchronization.